Velocity
by Blaze Sanders
Summary: Bella is one of the top racers in the Phoenix underground street racing scene until a nasty crash has her packing for Forks. But she can't outrun her past when the Volturi come knocking. She needs a hero-Edward Cullen just happens to be available. AU, OOC
1. Chapter One

**NOTE: I don't own Twilight characters!!**** OOC, AU, AH-- Fast and Furious meets Twilight. This is just an introductory chapter and the next chapter is on the way so please read and review. The set up of this story is going to be a combination of past and present entries that explain the plot. Get ready for Bella the Badass! **

**And leave so comments please, it only takes a few seconds of your time to make me smile!!! **

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**Sunday September 14, 2008**

"I've got a surprise for you, Bells. It's not much, but I figure we could fix it up. Jacob offered to help. Do you remember him? Probably not, he's a few years younger than you." I had never heard my father say so many words at one time. I tried to feign interest, but the gray tinge of Forks, Washington was already depressing me as we inched towards a house that I hadn't visited in four years.

"Cool, dad, but I really don't need anything," I told him.

"Well, I've already bought it for you, and it's the least I can do." I grimaced. If Charlie knew the true reason for my sudden interest in the Pacific Northwest, he would probably lock me in my room and feed me with scraps of bread. It took some convincing, but Renee had finally agreed to keep my indiscretions a secret from my state trooper father.

We pulled into the gravel coated driveway. The only thing that had changed was the encroaching wilderness and the presences of an ancient behemoth of a truck. Was Charlie interested in antique car collecting now?

"So, what do you think?" he asked hopefully, probably praying that I didn't change my mind and board a plane back to Arizona. Sadly, I was in no position to move back to Phoenix.

"It's like I'm twelve again." My reply had a negative connotation, as I had hated my preteen years with a passion, but Charlie beamed with happiness, not understanding my double meaning.

"Well, I'm glad you're back. But I was talking about the truck." He gesticulated towards the hulking piece of metal that belonged in a museum. A 1953 Chevy pickup, by the look of it.

"It's…interesting. When did you get it?"

"Last week, from Billy Black. It's your welcome home slash birthday gift." He waited anxiously for my reaction and I couldn't bear to tell him that he got swindled into buying the biggest piece of junk I'd ever seen.

"Really? Oh…awesome. Really cool, dad. Thanks so much!" Charlie didn't hear the strained sincerity in my voice, nor did he recognize the false smile plastered on my face.

"I know it's a bit old, but it'll get you from point A to point B." Y_eah, topping out at 40 miles per hour!, I thought. _

"And once your arm heals, you can take her for a spin." Charlie pulled his keys for the ignition and jogged around to get the door for me.

"Umm…dad? I broke my left arm, it's no big deal. I'll have no trouble driving, you don't have to baby me or cart me around in the cruiser," I told him seriously as he slung my luggage over his shoulder.

"Yeah, but it's probably safer for you to bum a ride with me until the cast comes off," he argued, but his resilience was waning and I knew that I could easily convince him otherwise

"Char…dad, how many bones have I broken before? I think I've learned to work around the restraints of a cast. Please, I'd be mortified if you had to drive me around in the cruiser!" Police cars brought back bad memories, ones that I was trying to escape, and I didn't want to draw any more attention to myself than was absolutely necessary.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get hurt. You're only seventeen. You haven't had much driving experience." _Oh, if only you knew, Charlie. I could drive circles around you with me eyes closed_. That was the problem. I was too good at driving, and too stubborn and independent for my own well-being.

"I'm perfectly capable of driving a truck to school and back."

"Fine, but if you feel you can't handle it, call me and I'll drive you home." I nodded enthusiastically, stunned that I would be back behind the wheel so soon. Granted, this was probably the shittiest truck in existence, but it was still something.

Charlie hobbled down the walkway, shifting the weight of my duffle bag to his other shoulder as I followed behind. "You really have to be more careful and watch where you step, Bells. You could have impaled yourself on that metal rod. Thank God it only went through your arm rather than your head. Phil should really clean out that garage of his!"

"Hmm…" I wordlessly answer. So that was the cover story? At least my less than adequate equilibrium came in handy for something. Charlie didn't have to know that my stepfather, Phil, was an utter neat freak and we didn't actually have a garage. He didn't have to know the truth. Not now, not ever.

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**Friday September 5, 2008**

"Swan. Playing with the big boys now?" jeered James as I climbed out of my sleek street racer. These poor schmucks didn't stand a chance, yet they felt the need to pull the male supremacy card.

"Usually I like a bit more competition, but it was either a TV dinner with Renee or this," I retorted. James snickered and grabbed my waist, spinning me around so that I was inches away from his chest.

"Made a few adjustments to the Supra? Where'd you get the money? I swear you're robbing banks behind my back. I'll drive the getaway car if you want." I rolled my eyes as his hands crept beneath the band of my underwear.

"Yeah, you'd stall on a hill right in front of the police station. My way's easier. Grandma Swan's inheritance is good for a T-66 turbo engine and a NOS upgrade," I answered him, subtly trying to pull away from his suffocating grip.

"Or you're working for Aro," the fierce, angry tone in his voice startled me. I would never fall into the messy web that Aro, Marcus and Caius spun. The drivers they sponsored were always the dirtiest, their equipment supplied by way of money laundering and theft.

"Fuck you, James. I'm an honest driver," I spat and wrenched my body away from his vice-like hold.

"If you wanted honesty you should've stuck to the kiddy tracks at the speedway. Illegal street racing isn't exactly squeaky clean, Swan. So stop acting like a little bitch. I'm the reason you got this far. When I met you, you couldn't even ride a bike!" he howled, drawing the attention of a few girls looking to hook up with the winner.

I recognized one of them as Victoria, James' frequent lover. I didn't particularly care. We weren't that kind of couple, though we had been dating since I was fourteen. He was fickle and I knew it. But that was just the way we were. He would cheat, I would smack him and wop his ass in the next drag race. Then he would apologize, his big cow eyes brimming with false sincerity and I'd take him back. Why? Because he was the reason I was where I was today.

"Do you seriously think I'm that stupid, James? Racing for the Volturi would be like getting in bed with a black widow spider!" I hissed spinning back towards my leather clad boyfriend.

"I wouldn't be surprised, you little whore. You like power and speed, why not bed the enemy and get both." At that, I pulled my arm back and delivered a powerful right hook to his jaw. He was making no sense and wounding my pride, something that I would never stand for.

"You bitch!" he roared.

"James, shut the fuck up or I'll castrate your unfaithful dick. Don't you dare accuse me of sleeping around when I've caught you fucking Heidi, Liz, and Victoria multiple times. And those are only the ones I know about!" Now we were truly drawing a crowd. Drivers and groupies alike circled around us, most of them cheering me on. James wasn't exactly popular among the underground scene. He was volatile and prone to cheating and disloyalty.

"Do you think that you can make it out here, Bella? You think that you're good enough? Well you're mistaking, you little slut! You can't handle any car fast enough to win. You'll crash and burn! And I'll have to pick up the pieces." His eyes darted around the crowd as he tried to assert his dominance.

I huffed and glowered at him. "See you across the finish line, dickhead. That is, if you make it that far!"

I turned on my heels and stalked towards my car, but James had other plans. He yanked my leather jacket with such force that I went spinning into the dirt with a thud. His heavy, hulking body crushed down on top of me, pinning me to the ground. He lowered his head to my ear and his warm breath made me cringe as he whispered, "Nobody makes a fool out of me! Not even the great Bella Swan!"

With that he crushed his mouth against mine, forcing my lips open and jabbing his tongue down my throat. One of his hands groped my breast roughly while the other one viciously plunged into my hair and wrenched my head backward.

I struggled against his strength, thrashing my legs in hopes of dismounting him. But that only caused him to push his growing boner harder against my core.

He shifted his torso and unknowingly freed my arms from the restraints of his bulging muscles and in that moment of weakness, I shoved my fingers into his beady eyes. A massive object propelled into the air and plowed into the howling James, tossing him off of my stomach. I scurried to my feet, shaking with anger.

Another driver rushed over and positioned himself in between me and James, who was now being held back by the same man that had tackled him to the ground. Both of my saviors were members of the Volturi.

"It seems we have a lot to learn about proper etiquette, James. Assaulting a woman is by no means alright," a gruff voice said from behind me. "Come, my dear Bella. Please, let's get you patched up." I wheeled around as a pair of fragile hands lightly gripped my forearm. They belonged to Aro.

"I'm fine," I tersely responded.

"Nonsense, you're bleeding. Though many people would appreciate it if you leveled the playing field with an injury, it would not be fair to you. Please, Miss Swan, follow me," his sweet voice was uncannily deceptive and I wasn't sure what to make of it. I raised my hand to my forehead and felt warm, thick goo ooze from a fairly deep cut. The metallic smell of blood hit me seconds later, and I swooned embarrassingly into the breakable arms of Aro, who gently led me to the Volturi lounge located in the parking garage where the race was supposed to originate from.

"Gianna, do you mind grabbing a gauze and bandage for our friend? She seems to have fallen." A kind looking girl not much older than me nodded and disappeared down a curtained hall.

Aro turned towards me, his cataract-ridden eyes gazing in my direction. "I must comment on your car, Miss Swan. It looks like you put a lot of time and money into her, at least $80,000 under the hood, if I'm not mistaken. And it's working for you. I'm impressed by your stats. You've won seven of the last twelve races, but this isn't a quarter mile drag, my dear, this is the Volterra Cannonball. Can you handle it?"

I narrowed my eyes at his insinuating tone. "I think I'll manage just fine."

"Yes, I do, too. That's why I have an offer to make you. The Volturi run the underground street scene, Bella. We can offer you protection. These racers play dirty and the Volutri look out for one another on the road. And then there's the matter of police. We have quite a few inside men; none of our racers have ever so much as been pulled over for a faulty brake light."

"Sorry, Aro, but I'm not interested," I retorted. These were the people who gave street racing its bad name and I refused to be a part of it.

"Car tune ups and upgrades are rather costly, but you wouldn't have to worry about any of that with us. We pay for everything you need, including entry fees. Of course, you could always drop eight grand per drag in the name of pride. Would you reconsider? Grandmothers can only die once." He, like every other driver in this circuit, knew about my financial difficulties and had hit a nerve with his somewhat insensitive comment.

I cocked my head and bit my lip. "I'll think about it." Perhaps, once I blew away the competition and won the one hundred grand prize money, I wouldn't feel so monetarily helpless.

Aro's lips turned up over his yellow teeth in a sinister grin that gave me the chills. "That's all I ask, Bella. Ah, Gianna…" he beckoned towards the young, Italian girl who reentered with a first aid kit. She unlatched the white box and began to clean the laceration above my right eyebrow.

"Thank you," I told her after she was finished. She smiled and wished me luck before disappearing into the back room once more.

"Please, think about my offer," Aro called after me as I jogged towards the door. I waved my hand dismissively.

The cars roared to live as I slipped behind the wheel of my Toyota Supra. I turned the key in the ignition, opened the Nos valves, and powered up my GPS and police radar systems.

There was no excuse for failure. I would not settle for second place loser.

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A/N:

**Just in case there is some super autophile reading this and thinking that this girl knows absolutely nothing about cars, I would like to admitt that I really don't know much about cars, so my termonology probably sucks. We can't all be Roselie Hale, lol.**

**Thanks for reading!! Review and get a preview of the next chapter...Bella goes to Forks High! **


	2. Chapter Two

**NOTE: So this is the second chapter of this story and I definitely have a feel for it. Please take the time to tell me what you think because I appreciate it more than you know and give pretty generous previews to any reviewers. So REVIEW!! And ENJOY!!**

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**Monday September 15, 2008**

I frowned at the reflection in the mirror. My skin was translucently white and littered with semi-healed cuts and scrapes, the fading purple of a bruise throwing the proportions of my eyes off balance. I traced my finger along the deepest gash—the one inflicted by my ex-boyfriend during our scuffle—feeling the rough scab and the smooth, pink skin surrounding it.

My physical wounds were disappearing, all noticeable traces of my bad decisions and abusive relations receding into the background. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about my mental state.

Charlie was in a tizzy this morning, checking up on me every two minutes to make sure that I was okay. The past week had been besieged by episodes of night terrors, one of which had occurred last night to Charlie's nervous surprise. It was obvious that my problems would take more than a week to mend.

I sighed and pulled the medicine cabinet open, cutting off my view of the battered girl in the mirror. As if being the new girl in a town of fifteen hundred people wasn't awkward enough, I would have the added bonus of looking like the Bride of Frankenstein. Tongues would be wagging the second I arrived on campus. Well, nobody could ever deny Bella Swan's ability to make a grand entrance, I somberly thought to myself.

Attention was the last thing I need right now. I didn't want friends because they would ask questions that I didn't want to answer. Questions that would seem harmless, but would reveal far more than I'd like to divulge.

I snatched the toothpaste from the thin glass shelf and squeezed a fat dollop onto the bristles my brush. Charlie rapped softly on the door causing me to roll my eyes. Wow, five whole minutes of peace.

"Come in, dad," I mumbled around the foam that filled my mouth.

"I'm gonna head out, Bells. Are you sure you'll be okay?" He stared pucker browed at me as if doubting my ability to take care of myself. The concern made my heart swell and I spit out the remnants of the toothpaste in the sink so that I could give him a proper smile.

"I promise that I'll be okay, daddy. I've driven a thousand times with a broken arm," I assured him.

"It's not only that. You're probably nervous about going to a new school especially three weeks into the year. Everybody's already situated and you may feel like the odd man out. You were screaming in your sleep last night, Bells. Obviously you have some anxiety…" he trailed off awkwardly, not sure how to continue. He was trying so hard to be a reliable father figure, so I made an effort to set his mind at rest.

"Well, I wasn't nervous until you brought up all of those scary thoughts," I laughed, wrapping my arms around my father's waist. "Don't worry. I'm a big girl. And I just had a bad dream last night. Nothing's wrong, so don't agonize over me."

Charlie, taken aback by my unexpected show of affection, tentatively patted my back and pecked the top of my head before turning to leave.

I shuffled back to my small bedroom across the hall and stood in front of my almost empty closet. At least choosing an outfit for the first day of school wouldn't be a hassle.

Settling on a pair of black skinny jeans and a worn Three Days Grace tee-shirt, I quickly dressed, unsettled by the ever present chill that permeated the air. In Phoenix, it was probably pushing ninety five degrees already and the barely fifty degree temperature of Forks was not agreeing with me. I grabbed my new leather coat from its hanger and slung it over my shoulders. The feeling of the soft leather on my bare arms was foreign and cold to me; it was nothing like the familiar feeling my old jacket that was now lying in a landfill somewhere, tattered and shredded to bits.

I'd survive. No use complaining like a broken record. A quick glance at the clock told me that I should probably get going, so I carefully hobbled down the stairs trying not to disrupt the violent bruises on my hips and legs. Charlie was already worked up about my broken arm and cut up face; he didn't have to know about the rest of my broken body. That meant running up and down the flight of stairs as if nothing was bothering me. It had been excruciating. I sighed in relief as I took each step at a time, not one jolt of pain ignited within my body.

The keys to the Chevy hung on a hook in the front hall. I grabbed them and slipped my feet into my flat, rubber soled black leather boots before securing the locks on the door.

With a deafening roar, the monstrous vehicle woke with a vengeance that startled me half to death. "Jesus Christ! What the hell does your exhaust system look like, Gypsy?" I figured that this car deserved a name so I settled for a temperamental trickster.

Though, it sound as if a cat been sucked into the exhaust pipe, the car ran smoother than I would have guest, but just as I up shifted to third gear, it moaned and expelled a black plume of smoke.

"Are you serious, Gypsy? Only thirty miles per hour? Ahh well, at least you tried your best." It was a weird habit for me to talk to my cars. I had this odd belief that somehow the vehicles would react to my voice and perform better. I fought the urge to smash my head against the staring wheel and scream in frustration as a biker whizzed by me and unconsciously pushed the heavy petal further into the floor, only to be met with a disapproving groan.

"Sorry," I whispered as I eased off the gas. Gypsy appreciated that and suddenly began cruising effortlessly down the stretch of back road. I was able to appreciate the surprisingly smooth and graceful ride that this unlikely tank exhibited, despite being an unrelenting speed whore. "That's a girl, Gypsy. You show off all you'd like."

The parking lot was filling with equally shitty cars by the time I crawled into an available parking space. I was hoping to arrive a bit earlier, but traveling at snail speed had messed up that plan. Not that I blamed Gypsy. Oddly enough, I was fondly attached to this obnoxiously loud hunk of metal.

About every single wandering eye in the quad zoned in on me as I sloshed through puddle after puddle on my way to the front office, my eyes trained to the darkened concrete. Before I could wrench open the heavy double doors, the vicious purr of a shiny silver Volvo—backed by at least a 500 horsepower, fuel injected engine—caught my attention. The music pouring from the slightly ajar, tinted windows jolted me out of reality. _Fire_ by Jimi Hendrix.

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**Saturday November 26, 2005**

A huge, goofy grin spread across my face as his strong, smooth fingers interlaced with mine, pulling through the throng of out of control teenagers. This was surreal. There was no way in hell that Bella Swan, the quite, plain Jane from Scottsdale was attending a raging high school party. But I was. And I was here with a gorgeous, mysterious, and popular seventeen year old. An involuntary shiver of excitement coursed through my body causing James to turn and flash me an adorable smile. My grin tripled in size.

The past few weeks had seemed like they were taken out of the pages of somebody else's life. I wasn't exactly a popular person, definitely not popular enough to garner the attentions of a cool Junior in high school. I was still unsure why James was even interested in me, let alone inviting me to elite house parties. I was, after all, a fourteen year old eighth grader with untamable brown hair, hardly any boobs, and a skin tone that refused to produce melanin. There was nothing special about me.

James, on the other hand, had the body of a twenty-four year old weightlifter and sand blond hair that fell in front of his gray eyes. His skin had a healthy golden hue about it, and a hint of stubble decorated his chin.

"I _love_ this song!" I shouted as the musical majesty of Jimi Hendrix's _Fire_ spewed from the subwoofer we were standing directly in front of. I started bobbing my head and swaying to the music, elated that I finally recognized a song and it just happened to be one of my favorites.

James chuckled and grabbed my hips, pulling me towards his pelvis. A small yip of surprise tumbled from my lips, but was muffled by the deafening music. The only boy I had ever danced with was Ken Cassel in the sixth grade and we had remained a good foot and a half away from each other. This was completely out of my element and I prayed to God that I didn't make a fool out of myself.

His hands grasped my butt, forcing my pelvis into his, so that one of his legs was straddled between both of mine. I gazed into his up into his face, sure that my ignorance was betrayed by my wide eyed stare. He just smiled, however, and began grinding up against me in time with the music. I followed suit, letting James' strong hands and the tempo of Hendrix direct my movement. Soon, I felt comfortable enough to close my eyes and let my head rhythmically sway from side to side, my long curls bouncing down my back.

The soft tickle of warm breath on my neck cause me to snap my eyes open, but I tried to play it cool as James' ran his tongue over my skin. He nibbled my ear, biting me harder than I expected. Reflexively, I turn my head so that my ear was nowhere near his mouth. I was suddenly petrified. What if he thought that I wasn't interested in him? That I was snubbing him? I didn't know how to handle this type of situation.

Before my panic could escalate any further, his lips crushed roughly on top of mine, his tongue forcing its way into my mouth. To say I was surprised was a vast understatement. My eyes were wide open, staring at James' ruggedly beautiful visage. The hands that were holding me to his body, roamed up my stomach until they reached my breast. He began kneading and groping my chest as his kisses intensified.

The mob or gorgeous teens packed into the small living room did not cater to my self-consciousness. Everybody was busy guzzling beer, and there were more than a few people mirroring our behavior, but still I felt that this was not the place to be making-out. Not that I had any experience whatsoever with this kind of thing.

James finally noticed my lack of enthusiasm and coldly pulled away from me. "What? You're not into me?" The annoyance in his voice was evident and I quickly tried to assuage that false notion.

"No, it's just that there are so many people here. I'm sorry, but I'm not really that experienced with guys so this is so new to me." I dropped my eyes to my Converse sneakers which had suddenly become the most fascinating object in the packed room.

"Wanna go someplace quieter?" The arrogant confidence had returned to James' voice. I smiled and nodded. He was so cool!

"Where are we going?" I asked as he opened the passenger's side door of his fancy sports car for me.

"Have you ever been down to the old highway, Swan?" he asked with a wicked tint in his eyes.

I shook my head. "Nobody ever goes there, not since they built the interstate."

"Then you definitely need to go at least once. Live a little," he told me before jetting off, weaving in and out of traffic.

He parked the car in the middle of the abandoned highway stretch, surrounded by the barren desert.

"Wow, this is really something, James," I told him sarcastically.

He chuckled. "Are you ready for it?"

"Ready for what?" Now, I was confused. There was absolutely nothing going on here.

He stared out the front windshield, his hand resting on the stick shift. "For this!" And with that, he punched the gas, throwing me back against my sea. My fingers curled helplessly around my seatbelt. He double shifted, his hand weaving an intricate zigzag pattern with the manual shift. My mouth lolled open in amazement as the expansive highway flew by.

The speedometer was creeping into the red, inching past one fifty…one fifty five.

I was mesmerized by the seamless transition from gear to gear, the way the engine groaned as the car sped forward, the feeling of the torque pulling at the chassis. I was in love.

"Whoa! That was…Amazing!...like…whoa!" I stuttered after he had tapered to a standstill, my heart rate returning to normal.

"Told ya it was worth it," he replied coolly.

"How do you drive like that?" I eagerly asked.

"I could teach you." In that moment, I fell head over heels for James.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" He nodded nonchalantly and I squealed in delight. Before I knew what I had done, my arms were wrapped around his neck, my body resting on his lap.

He responded immediately with vigor, his lips working hard against mine. This time I was prepared and let my hands stroke the nape of his neck while his roamed under my shirt. He hitched my legs up around his hips and supported my weight with his arms as he clambered over the console and into the backseat. He laid me down on my back across the seat, the weight of his body crushed down on top of me as he began to unzip my jeans. My body stiffened in response. "James, we can do this," I protested.

"Why not? I love you, Bella," moaned James, his finger lingering on the band on my underwear.

"Before tonight, I hadn't even hugged a boy that wasn't a family member. Please," I explained, feeling like a stupid child.

"Fine, we'll take it slow," agreed a perturbed James, but he still tugged at my pants.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, hysterically.

"Don't worry. No sex, I promise." I nodded lamely and allowed James' tongue to invade my mouth while his first two fingers work their way into my core, his thumb rubbing against clit. He forced his way deeper into my body, but despite his violent motions it wasn't painful. So I kissed him back, not daring to rebuke him.

"Meet me at the garage tomorrow. I get off work at five. It'll be your first lesson in manual transmission driving," he told me as he dropped me off at my house forty-five minutes later.

I nodded. The genuine smile on his face made all of my doubts and uneasiness disappear.

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**Monday September 15, 2008**

"_Fuck you, James_," I cursed to myself as I watched the souped-up Volvo pull into the space directly on the side of my truck. _"The hell you love me!"_

I snapped out of my bittersweet memory and stalked to the receptionist's desk wearing a pissed off grimace. "I'm Isabella Swan."

The secretary, Ms. Cope according to her name plate, started at my voice and jumped a bit in her chair. She chuckled at her overreaction and turned towards me. Her chortles immediately stopped as her eyes roved from my blacked eye, to the cuts scattered across my face, until finally stopping on my cast-encased arm. She cleared her throat and tittered nervously. "Oh, yes, Miss Swan. We're expecting you. I have your schedule right here. If you have any questions throughout the day, please feel free to drop in. We're happy to help."

"Okay, thanks a bunch," Ms. Cope didn't understand the sarcasm involved in my false burst of chipper-ness. She smiled and waved merrily as I exited the brick building.

I glance down at my schedule, the titanium white tinge of the paper turned translucent where drops of rain made contact. Apparently, I had trigonometry in building three first. Riveting.

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******A/N: Thanks for reading. Just to make things clear, Bella didn't have sex with James and is only 14 years old so she's at that age where she'll do anything to fit in and she is convinced that this is normal high school behavior because she doesn't know any better. So her bitchiness in present day can be explained by the horrible company that she kept in her earlier years, which will be developed as the story goes on. Next chapter she'll meet Edward and the rest of the Cullens!! Rosalie, watch out there's a new Queen Bitch in town!!**

**Previews for the next chapter will be definitely worth it, I've already started writing it. So it's definitely a chapter you should review for. Low self-esteem is correct by Reviews! You don't want me turning into Bella do you???REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter Three

**Note: This is an introductory chapter...Bella meets the Cullen kids! Thanks to the people who reviewed my last two chapters. Please send me some reviews, my wonderful readers!! I love them and I want to horde them for myself! **

**In text allusions: Zoltar machine: from the movie "Big" with Tom Hanks, it's the psych fortune telling machine.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Monday September 15, 2008**

"I heard she's a drug dealer and got taken down by police brutality. She was supposed to get ten to life, but her dad had pull because he's a police officer," some extremely obnoxious bimbo whispered across the aisle to her friend. She either had a naturally loud voice and was oblivious to the audibility of her whisper, or she was purposely trying to provoke me. It was the end of first period and I had already played the part of a serial murder, gangster, and drug dealer.

"No. I heard that she was an underappreciated global-warming protester who was attacked for her personal beliefs," said the boy sitting behind me. At least somebody here thought highly of me.

"Where did you get that piece of fiction from, Mike? The Zoltar machine?" snapped the girl with the annoying, squeaky voice. I snorted, unable to contain myself any longer.

The whispers subsided and I felt the heat of unwanted eyes burning against the back of my head. Now was as good a time as any to introduce myself to my peers.

I turned around, causing the curious eyes to immediately drop to the floor. "The Zoltar machine? Really? Are you twelve? And if you must know, I was the eighth wife of an abusive polygamist cult leader who beat me and killed my unborn baby. Don't worry though, I forced him to drink the kool-aid." With that, I pivoted in my seat so that I was once again facing the whiteboard, a pronounced grin stretching from cheek to cheek.

Nervous chuckles issued from behind me, but the whiny bitch couldn't take a hint. "Oh. My. Gawd!!! Did you guys just hear what she said? That is so slutty!"

"Chill out, Jessica. She was just joking…I think?" Mike seemed unsure of the sincerity of my words so I glanced over my shoulder and shrugged mischievously. A pixie-like girl sitting on the side of Jessica shook with laughter while the other three stared wide-eyed at me as if I was some strange creature of the night. Of course, compared to the citizens of Forks, I must seem like quite the specimen.

The bell rang before the conversation could continue, for which I was thankful. I had no ambition left to string a web of intricate scenarios that would shock these small town simples. I'm sure the truth would get their knickers in a twist just as easily, but the whole point of lying was to protect my shady past. And I was a horrible liar. It was best not to offer any information whatsoever.

But karma was a bitch and instead of beginning gawked at from afar, the boy from trig class decided that it would be perfectly okay to approach me and make conversation.

"Hi, Isabella. I'm Mike Newton. Sorry about Jessica back there. She's a little bit of a gossip queen, but I think she'll back off. She's not used to being told off. Nice job by the way," he rambled.

"Thanks." My terse reply was supposed to end the conversation, but it failed miserably.

"No, really, that was an awesome comeback! Classic!" Mike's praise seemed a little excessive. "So…Isabella, I was wondering if you wanted to sit at our table for lunch. It would be totally fine. I'm really interested to hear about Arizona. That's where you're from, right?" He didn't wait for an answer to either of his requests, instead he continued at rapid speed. "Oh, here let me take your bag for you. Your arm doesn't look so good."

He reached for the shoulder strap of my messenger bag, but I gently pushed his hand away, not wanting to offend him. He seemed like a nice enough kid, in dire need of Ritalin, but still very friendly, and I wasn't so much of bitch that I didn't notice a kind person when I met one. But I didn't need chivalry.

"I can handle it, Mike. Thanks, though." Mike looked flustered, but otherwise undeterred.

"Well, let me walk you to your class. You're still new here. I could be your guide for the day." The hopeful expression that lit up Mike's face was a mixture between pathetic and hilarious. I bit my lips to stop the explosion of laughter that was threatening to burst forth.

"My goodness, Mike. She's perfectly capable of reading a map," said a wind chime voice. The small fairy-like girl shoved her way in between me and Mike and winked one wide, twinkling shale-colored eye at me, a smile playing at her lips. "And she's not a hooker so that translates into not interested. Sorry, better luck with the street walkers, Mikey-Mike."

I turned my head to hide the soft chuckles that were contorting my facial features. That pale, little supermodel had my undying respect. I glanced up in time to see her glide gracefully away, her size five ballet flats barely touching the ground.

Mike, on the other hand, wore the saddest expression imaginable. It was a pout that really didn't belong on anything but a floppy-eared puppy, let alone on a teenage boy. I sighed, knowing that I had to ruin the mini-genius' retort. There was no way that I could leave Mike in this pitiful state.

"Well, I'll see you later, Mike. Maybe we'll have another class together. Thanks for the company." Even though my sincerity was questionable, Mike immediately lit up with excitement as if my words contained the meaning of life. Oh, shit! This wasn't good.

I slipped away before Mike could ask about lunch, again, and silently prayed that he wouldn't have another opportunity to repeat his offer.

* * *

**Friday December 9, 2005**

This clock was definitely broken. There was no way that time was moving this slowly. James was supposed to pick me up at eight o'clock and I had been sitting on the edge of my bed for the past hour and half, just waiting for the minute hand to reach its destination. It was currently six thirty. Wow, I had no life!

A sigh escaped my pursed lips. Wasn't there a law that described this phenomenon? Something devised by Einstein? I needed to occupy my mind so that time would speed up.

For the past two weeks James had been teaching me how to drive stick on his father's beat up Ford Escort. After stalling about a hundred times, I was finally getting the hang of the shifting patterns and could successful use all of the gears correctly. Today was different though. James was finally letting me get behind the wheel of his Eclipse, a car that I had been dying to drive since he first introduced me to the thrill of the ride.

And the God damn clock wouldn't freaking move!!

"Urgh!!!" I groaned in exasperation. My guitar was resting against the foot of my bed where it had been sitting since the night of the party. I figured that my neglect should be repaid while also providing a distraction from the slowly moving clock.

My fingers moved over the strings with comfortable, practiced strums. I played a few warm up chords that seamlessly merged into a guitar adaptation of Mozart's Symphony No. 40. I was able to get through Bon Jovi, Guns n' Roses, Greenday, and was in the middle of Hoobastank's _Running Away_—belting out the lyrics with no regard to the neighbor's cat—when James burst through my door without so much as a courtesy knock.

"What the hell is that crap?" he demanded rudely.

The last reverberating note faded away, leaving me stunned and lost for words. "I…err…Hoobastank?"

"Well, it sucks. I thought somebody was dying up here. Put that piece of junk away and hurry up. I don't have all day." He turned and disappeared into the hall. I bit back the fit of sobs that was on the verge of overtaking me.

"Come on, Swan!" I shoved my guitar roughly under my bed and stormed down the stairs.

* * *

**Monday September 15, 2008**

Lunch. The epitome of high school cliché, even in Hicksville, USA. I vaguely noticed Mike Newton waving furiously at me, trying to grab my attention, but I pretended to be oblivious to his gesture and sauntered over to an empty table in the corner of the cafeteria. My blearing iPod drowned out the noise of the gossiping teenagers—most of their rumors revolved around the new girl and her bruised and broken body. Five periods of pretending to be a deaf mute had taken its toll on my psyche. I was already exhausted from the effort of keeping my mouth shut.

My eyes fluttered closed as the relaxing melody of Beirut washed over me. I lowered my head to the table, letting my crossed arms act as a makeshift pillow. The bulky cast was a bit uncomfortable against my forehead, but it was better than remaining aware of the environment around me.

A lunch tray crashed to the table about three inches away from my head. I bolted up right, shocked by the unexpected loud noise. Malibu Barbie—in all her bitchy glory—was glaring down at me, her espadrille-clad foot tapping in annoyance. I pulled out my earbuds while shooting her a questioning leer.

"You're sitting in my spot!" she snapped, her hands flying into the air as if I was a dog she was trying to shoo from the dinner table.

"Why would you need a place to eat your lunch? You're only gonna throw it up later anyway," I retorted nonchalantly and returned my head to the cradle of my arms.

Barbie let out an astonished gasp and grabbed the collar of my jacket in an attempt to yank me from my seat. Her weak grasp alerted me to her precarious balance caused by her high heeled shoes. I stood up abruptly, knowing that such an action would have Goldie Locks toppling to the floor. She let out an overdramatic caterwaul as she landed on the ground in a heap. I snickered. "Oops! Be careful! Maybe you shouldn't wear wedge sandals when it rains. These floors can get slippery."

"Oh, you little bitch," she screeched, using the bench of the table to claw her way back to an upright position. She sort of resembled that creepy girl from _The Ring_, except way more high maintenance.

"Rosalie!" a male voiced hollered from across the cafeteria. At the same time, a friendly voice hurriedly yelled my name.

"Isabella! There you are. Come on, hun. I meant the last table on the _other_ side of the caf." A thin arm draped gently, yet firmly across my shoulder, directing my movement away from Barbie.

Once we were out of ear shot from Rosalie and the two boys that were now trying to calm her down, the girl whispered. "My names Angela. You don't want to be on Rosalie's bad side. She kind of rules the school, as terrible as that sounds. You don't really have to sit with us if you don't want to, but you're most welcome at our table, Isabella."

The sheer kindness harnessed in Angela's sentiments was astonishing. She might well be the only decent person I had ever met in my life. Granted I hung out with thugs and backstabbers in my free time, but still the compliment was no less applicable.

"You can call me Bella. Thanks for helping me out back there. She has some pretty mean looking boyfriends. That might not have ended well for me." Angela chuckled and nodded.

"Forks actually doesn't believe in polygamy…" the rest of her sentence got caught in her throat as she tried to refrain from laughing.

"Oh…about that, I wasn't really involved in a cult, I was just saying that to…" Angela, who I now recognized from trig class, waved her hand in dismissal.

"Oh, please, Bella. I know you were just joking. It was very witty. Jessica is still shell-shocked." We had reached Angela's lunch table and she hovered by my side, allowing me a chance to back out. She was very considerate and I felt guilt ditching such a sweet person even if it meant sharing a table with Jessica and Mike Newton.

I clambered over the bench and Angela followed my lead, claiming the seat next to me. Mike hurriedly crammed his half-eaten lunch into his brown paper bag and scurried around the table to seize the empty spot on my other side. Jessica looked pissed off as she scooched over to the now empty seat beside her and whispered rapidly to a rat-nosed girl with bleach-blonde hair.

"Isabella! What's up?" Mike asked before he was even seated.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Starting fights and stirring shit up," I answered offhandedly, hoping that if I sounded like a vulgar hoodlum, Mike would shower his misplaced affections on someone else.

"Rosalie Hale isn't somebody you want to mess with," he said seriously, repeating Angela's previous statement.

"So I've heard. Is it commonplace for the popular girls to have an entourage of steroid-pumped man-boys?" The entrance of a new member of the 'Rosalie Hale Club' recaptured my attention. He was slighter than the other two, but his fitted corduroy pants and tight Aerosmith tee-shirt revealed a perfectly sculpted body. A twenty-first century Adonis. Rosalie angrily pointed her perfectly manicured finger in my direction and hissed something that got lost in the loud cafeteria.

Mike started to geek out as if I was Demetri freaking Martin and patted my arm. "Isabella, you're a riot! Man-boys…" his giggle fit prevented him from answering my question.

Angela stepped in with a resigned sigh, realizing that Mike was a lost cause. "The muscular brunette is Emmett Cullen, Rosalie's boyfriend. He's the archetypal cool guy: captain of the football team, lots of friends, and believe it or not he doesn't need to take steroids to achieve that body. The tall, blond one is Jasper Hale. He's Rose's twin brother. There's nobody in the world that can pull off the disinterested, misunderstood genius look quite like him. He has a full ride to MIT next year and he hardly has to open a book…" Angela followed my gaze to the bronze-haired god. "_That_ is Edward Cullen, Emmett's little brother. I can promise you that those guitar hands have starred in every girl's daydreams at least once. He can play five instruments and has Julliard knocking on his door already and he's only a Junior.

Oh, Jeez. There were only two things that could make Edward Cullen any more delicious: a fast car or musical talent. My eyes fell on a tattered guitar case resting near his foot. He was unreal!

And I probably didn't have a chance with him. Edward ran his hands through his unruly bronze hair, shaking his head at something Rosalie was saying. The tiny girl who I'd met in the hall this morning gracefully pattered up behind Edward, wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, and pecking him on the cheek.

Yeah, right. There was no way I could compete with the beauty, grace, and cleverness of that thin, porcelain doll. She qualified for Miss America, for God's sake! The girl rolled her eyes at Rosalie and migrated over to Jasper's…lap? I thought Forks was against polygamy!!

"Hey Angela, whose that girl? I met her this morning." Mike scowled at the memory.

"That's Alice Cullen. She's Edward and Emmett's little sister. She's dating Jasper," Angela replied kindly.

"The Cullens and Hales are trying to make a generation of superbabies. Jasper's probably devising some sort of scientific technique to choose the best genes to pass on to their kids or something," Jessica sniffed. Apparently, I wasn't the only one she hated.

"Wow. How does it feel to be the master of lame comebacks?" Jessica's glare redirected and intensified on me.

"Well, I think that Alice and Jasper are perfect for one another. You can tell that they love each other, that's really rare. Even Rosalie and Emmett have something between them, that you can't deny. I'm not really sure what, but they're an excellent match," Angela defended.

A scrawny boy with a buzz cut snorted. "Yeah, they're both extremely shallow. Well, I guess it's better than being a fag."

"Shut up, Tyler! Don't use that word! EVER!" scolded Angela. "And besides, Edward isn't gay."

"Ang, the guy's either the biggest prude in the world or a class-A raging homosexual! He's never hooked up with a girl before!" Mike piped up.

"Not true, Mike. I can vouch for Edward's superior kissing abilities. The things he does with his tongue…it was like heroin," the gangly blonde girl boasted, snapping her Bubblicious gum like a cow.

"God Lauren, will you stop it already. Somebody spiked the punch at the spirit week bonfire. He was plastered, for God's sake! Nobody's impressed!" Wow, Jessica was even a bitch to her friends. Why am I not surprised?

"Guys, stop it! What's your problem? Bella, I swear we aren't shallow, gossipy teens from an ABC Family TV special, I promise." Angela had taken on the mediator persona and was trying desperately to change the subject, but my thoughts were wrapped around the startlingly handsome boy who was currently arguing with Rosalie on the opposite side of the room. My petty classmates droned on, ignoring Angela's pleas, but I hardly heard a word of their bickering.

Edward slammed his hands down on the table in exasperation and snatched his guitar from the floor. He mumbled something to his sister and her boyfriend before storming out of the double doors. Even his angry stomp seemed like the practiced saunter of a movie star. I inwardly kicked myself for angering his older brother's girlfriend. Even though he seemed perturbed by something she had said, he probably would make it a point to shun me out of loyalty to his family. That's too bad, I thought. But he was probably another asshole, like James. After all, the good looking ones always are.

With the pleasant thought of only two remaining periods—Music Theory and Gym—I somberly turned my attention back to the "Brat Pack" wannabes, who were now discussing Lauren's chances of being casted for America's Next Top Model. It took all I had to refrain from informing her that that particular competition was not open to the K-9 persuasion, no dogs allowed.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I promise an awesome race scene and an Edward/Bella conversation next chapter, so review and get a preview!! Please, tell me what you think!**

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	4. Chapter Four

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**NOTE: Thanks for the reviews, guys. This chapter has a pretty sweet Bella/Edward conversation so show me the love and write me lots of reviews. Please, everyone that reads this just take a second to send me a review. Reviews seriously make me update soon, send more satisifying previews and write overall better chapters. So help me out guys!! Your support so far has been awesome! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Friday December 9, 2005**

"Why are you early?" I asked timidly as I rushed after James. A half-hour ago, I had been praying for my driving lesson to begin, but now I was just confused and embarrassed.

"I have to be somewhere by eight," he answered without a backwards glance.

"What? I thought you were going to let me drive the Eclipse?" Disappoint leaked into my voice, but James didn't seem to notice or care.

"I am." He threw me the keys, which fell to the ground after my clumsy attempt at catching them. I quickly scooped them up and jogged over to the driver's side, hoping that James hadn't seen my klutzy moment.

"Where do you have to be?" I asked once I was safely buckled in.

"Why do you care?" Was James upset with me? Were my singing abilities so atrocious that they had scared him away?

"Because I care about you and I want to make sure everything is alright. You seem upset today." I hoped that my reply wouldn't be construed as prying.

"I just have a lot of things on my mind," James snapped.

"You know that you can tell me anything, right?" For the past month or so, my attempts at forming a meaningful relationship with James had failed miserably. He would never open up to me, and in return, I could never open up to him. It seemed that there was something between us—he would be so patient and helpful when he was teaching me how to drive—but our connection never seemed to last outside of our lessons. I wanted so badly to be part of his life, but he wouldn't let me in.

"If you must know, there's a drag tonight and I have a lot banking on this race. I don't need your shit right now."

"I'm sorry. I'm sure you'll win," I encouraged.

"Thanks, now can we get a move on?" His tones had softened, which caused my lip to twitch up into a grin. This was a small step forward.

"Yup. Where do you want me to go?" James input an address into the GPS that was attached to the dash.

"Follow these directions." I didn't bother to respond. Instead, I stepped on the clutch and shifted into first.

"Don't get us arrested, Swan. I'm not losing my license because I let your under-aged ass drive my car," he warned. I wasn't sure if he was serious or just joking around. It was a reoccurring theme with James.

"Don't worry." I slowed to a crawl, now paranoid about getting pulled over.

"Jesus, Swan, speed up. This isn't a fucking joke. Shift into third," he ordered. I hit the clutch, doubled shifted and pressed my foot firmly on the gas pedal. The car went shooting forward, pushing me back against my seat.

"Pass these cars," James told me.

The speedometer was steadily rising…80…85…88. I sharply cut the wheel, not so gently yanking both of us to the left. James let out a grunt as his knees smashed into the console. I bit my lip, nervously. Shit, this car sure could move. I pulled back into the right lane, this time exhibiting far more control and hardly jostling our bodies.

"Punch it!" James called over the roar of the engine.

"What? I thought you said that I should be careful!" My reminder was laced with bewilderment.

"The radar is clear. Punch it!" he screeched. Though I had no idea what he meant by 'radar,' I slammed on the gas, deftly tugged the stick shift into fourth gear, and went rocketing down the stretch of highway.

91…95…97…102…down shift into third, narrowly snake between two honking cars…84…89…accelerate…94…96.

The speed was exhilarating, far better than driving the Ford Escort or even sitting in the passenger's seat as James dazzled me with his adept driving skills.

I felt as if I was racing against time, beating the clock as I darted in between multiple lanes of traffic. It was as though this was my calling. When I was behind the wheel, I was no longer Bella: the girl who couldn't walk down the street without tripping over her own feet. No, that girl disappeared. I became Bella: the girl with a sixth sense for velocity.

My hand automatically reached for the stick shift, my foot following the natural course to the clutch. With one jolting motion, I double shifted into second gear as the streetlight switched from yellow to red.

99…92…87…84…still much to fast…the intersection was readily approaching. With a quick sideward glance, I surveyed the oncoming traffic. _I can make it_, I told myself.

This was probably not going to end well, but it was the only plan I had. My eyes narrowed in determination as my hands toyed with the gears and my foot forced the gas pedal further into the floor.

"SWAN! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!?!" James' bawl was hardly audible over the roaring engine, which made it easier to ignore.

If this was timed correctly, there was a fifty percent chance of success. If not…then we were unquestionably going to die.

I nudged the staring wheel a fraction of an inch to the right, pulling us into the breakdown lane. The stopped cars whizzed by in a blur as I hit the intersection doing 102. Now, it was do or die.

Without hesitation, I yanked the shifter into first gear, throwing all of my body weight onto the clutch, and wrenched up on the emergency break in rapid succession. It was, without a doubt, the stupidest act of my life. The car went skidding horizontally through the busy intersection, narrowly sliding past oncoming traffic. I winced as a Camry came within centimeters of colliding into the front end of our out of control car.

But somehow we reached the other side of the street in one piece…without so much as a dent!!! Purely dumb luck! Not wanting to stick around for the cops to show up, I shoved the 'E-brake' down, and resumed my trek down the highway.

James let out a robust laugh, something that I had never heard from him before. "Woo-hoo! Fuck, Bella! That was insane!!!" I smiled at his praise. "But don't you ever—EVER—do that again in MY car!!! This isn't _Tokyo_ fucking _Drift_!" I nodded in assent, the smile staying plastered to my face. James was impressed by me. Hell, I was impressed by me! There was no fucking way I would ever be able to pull something like that off again! James chuckled under his breath, every so often muttering, "Shit, Swan," softly to himself. My grin widened involuntarily.

The robotic female voice commanded me to veer right at a neglected side street which I followed until I reached a parking garage. Cars—expensive, fast looking cars—were streaming down a ramp, honking and expelling loud rap music as they filed into the underground garage.

"Where are we?" I asked as I slowed to mirror the flow of traffic.

"Volterra, baby! This is where it's at!" He whooped exuberantly, leaning across the console to press his lips against mine. "Get ready for a real race, Swan!"

An excited hoot poured from my mouth in anticipation.

* * *

**Monday September 15, 2008**

With fifteen minutes remaining in the lunch hour, I snuck away from my table, unable to bear the tedium of the catty teens. If there had been a bus rolling down the corridor, I would've willingly jumped in front of it before returning to the cafeteria and listening to the gripping tale of Jessica's one night stand with some kid who probably didn't exist. How was I ever going to survive Forks High when I was already searching for a place to hang myself?

As my next class was Music Theory, I opted to spend the remainder of lunch in the music room. Perhaps there would be an extra guitar that I could practice on. That always used to calm me down—well, before I stopped playing, that is. At the very least, I could warm up so as not to embarrass myself with the atrocious caliber of my rusty musical skills. It had been years since my hands had strummed a guitar.

It wasn't difficult to find the music room. It was directly across from the auditorium and decorated with murals of half notes and G-clefs. Tacky, to say the least.

I hurriedly pulled open the door, searching for shelter from the torrent of rain that was leaking from the dark, rolling clouds. The music that assaulted my ears upon entering the warm building was the last thing I expected to find.

Edward Cullen sat at the baby grand piano in the corner of the room, his back facing me. My mouth dropped open in amazement as his thin, graceful fingers scurried across the keys, producing a melancholy melody that I'd never heard before. Suddenly, my mediocre musical talents felt like the meddling of a toddler compared to the Mozart-like god that sat a few feet away, with impeccable posture that I could never achieve.

I debated on whether or not to make my presence know, sneak out and return to lunch, or just continue to listen to Edward play. Only one of those choices stood out to me—there was no way in hell that I was returning to lunch, and lurking in the shadows seemed wicked creepy, so introducing myself became my only option. Would it be rude if I interrupted his flow? Or weird if I waited until he was finished and clapped? Urg, this was a bit more complicated than I would have expected.

"So are you going to just stand there or grab a seat," Edward asked over the flawless musical composition. I exhaled and smiled to myself as I walked towards the piano.

"How did you know that I was here?" I asked, thankful that he had been the one to initiate the conversation.

"I heard the door open. I actually thought you were my sister, Alice," he answered, pulling away from the keys and turning his attentions to me.

I felt like a complete idiot. Obviously he didn't know it was me. We hadn't even met yet. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just couldn't take lunch anymore so I escaped and came here instead," I explained in a rush, hoping that I didn't sound too much like a weirdo.

Edward flashed me a sparkling smile and ran his fingers through his thick mane of bronze hair. "No problem. I had the same issue. I'm Edward Cullen, by the way."

"Bella Swan," I said as he collected my small hand between both of his.

"It's nice to meet the girl who completely trashed Rosalie Hale. It's a hard feat to manage, but you successfully had her heated for an entire forty-five minutes. Of course, I had to listen to her bitching and moaning..."

"Sorry about that, but she had it coming." Edward chuckled, his brilliant green eyes sparkling with amusement.

"True."

I figured that it was probably in my best interest to change the subject before Edward had a sudden change of heart and decided that I was more trouble than I was worth. Miraculously, he was actually being friendly to me which was more than I had expected.

"That was a beautiful song. Who's it by?" I asked, letting my bag slide from my shoulder to the floor.

"I wrote it for my mother last year. She's the reason why I started playing the piano," he told me.

"You wrote that! That's impressive! I thought it was by some Russian musician with an unpronounceable name!" I exclaimed. Apparently the hype about Edward was completely true. He _was_ a musical genius!

Edward shook off my compliment as if it was undeserved and diverted his eyes to the ugly brown carpet. "No, seriously. I'm impressed," I told him.

"Thanks, but you're not obligated to compliment the loser who locks himself away in the music room practicing his piano skills. I swear I won't kidnap you and force you to sing opera if you don't."

"I'm not sure whether or not I should applaud your _Phantom of the Opera_ reference or be creeped out by the fact that you've actually seen that play," I laughed. Edward smirked and shook his head in resignation.

"Wow, I set myself up for that one. Blame it on Alice. She's a huge Broadway fan. I've been dragged to my fair share of musicals. _Hairspray_ is a personal favorite of mine and _Legally Blonde_ was pretty awesome," he joked.

"Best not mention that to anybody," I managed to squeak out in between giggles.

"It doesn't really matter. I should warn you that I'm pretty much the black sheep of this school, Bella. You might not want to be seen talking to me." I waved my hand as if brushing off his warning. From what I gleaned from the conversation at my lunch table, every girl wanted to be with Edward and every guy was completely jealous of him. And I definitely want Edward, too.

"If you haven't noticed, I tend to rub people the wrong way. Hence, the bruises and broken body parts…"

"And pissing off Rosalie your first day at Forks High," he added. "So what exactly happened to you?"

I bit my lip hesitantly. This was exactly what I had been hoping to avoid. Edward was easy to talk to, but I didn't want him judging me by my past mistakes. He noticed my reluctance and quickly corrected his question. "Oh, I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that. That's your business. I hate it when people pry into my past, too."

I quirked my eyebrow in confusion. Edward seemed to be living in a sphere of teenage perfection, what could possibly be amiss in his past? He noticed my bewilderment and elaborated. "My parents died when I was seven years old."

"Oh, my God. I'm sorry. You didn't have to tell me that." I hadn't expected that twist. It didn't seem to mesh with all the other information that I had compiled about Edward. Flustered, I looked away and fidgeted with my fingers.

"It's okay. You would've found out eventually anyway. Forks is a small town and people love to gossip," he told me.

I nodded, already privy to that knowledge. "Not to be rude, but you said you wrote that song for your mother last year. Am I missing something?" I knew that I was missing information and this lack of facts was causing some serious confusion on my part.

Edward chortled at my statement. "After my parents died, I moved in with my Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle. I wasn't born a Cullen, but I was lucky enough to be taken in by such amazing relatives. They adopted me when I was ten and have become my second set of parents. Alice and Emmett treat me like their brother, so I like to pretend that I really am," he explained, a sad frown marring his perfect visage.

"I'm sure that Alice and Emmett consider you their brother regardless. You don't have to pretend," was my awkward reply. Edward nodded.

"Do you have any siblings?" he asked with false cheerfulness.

"Nope, it's just me. My mother had me when she was barely eighteen and divorced my father before I was out of diapers. She just remarried a year ago, but she has no intentions of having another kid. I think I might be the reason for that reluctance. I'm not exactly the perfect child." I figured that I should offer a few personal tidbits seeing as though Edward had just divulged a rather emotional piece of information to me.

Apparently, I had said something hilarious, as Edward began shaking with laughter. Truly laughing, not the nervous chuckles that had previously spewed from his perfectly formed lips. "I'm sorry, but you seem pretty clean cut to me, Bella."

"Really? I look like I just got jumped by the Crypts and you think I'm clean cut?" The amusement in my voice was evident and Edward didn't bother to apologize for his generalization.

"No, I'm not talking about your appearance. I mean, you obviously stand up for yourself and don't let people push you around, but there's nothing wrong with that. Actually, that's a really useful trait to have. You just don't seem like a person who would be involved in anything illegal," he clarified.

"Well, you'd be wrong." His eyes widened at my statement.

"Drug dealer?"

"Nope."

"Mass murder?"

I let out an exuberant chuckle. "Wrong again."

"You're not gonna tell me are you?" he asked. He was obviously curious, but unlike my other classmates, would not be one to push the subjects.

"Nope," I answered and he dramatically hung his head in defeat.

"Not even a little hint?" I shook my head. "Fine, fine. I'll let you skip that question, but you owe me some more info."

"Like what?" I played along.

He stroked his chin in mock contemplation. "Like why you chose to escape to the music room."

"That's an easy one. I have Music Theory next period."

"Uh-uh. You're not getting off that easy, Bella. What instrument do you play?" he prompted.

"Err… I used to play the guitar." He raised an eyebrow that disappeared into his soft curls.

"Used to?"

"I haven't played since I was fourteen. I just didn't have the time or patience." Normally, I wouldn't disclose this much information to a stranger, regardless of its harmless nature, but Edward had a way of making me feel comfortable.

"No time for the guitar? That's blasphemy!" he exclaimed as he unclamped his case and held his guitar out to me. "You better start playing before I punch you out for your sacrilegious words!"

"Wow, I'm so scared!" I joked playfully. Uncertainly, I took the instrument from his hands and rested it under the crook of my arm. "What should I play?"

"Are you seriously asking me that? A true musician plays whatever they're feeling at the moment. I'm curious to see what Bella Swan is thinking." A wicked grin illuminated his face.

"I'm not Beethoven, Edward. Don't expect much," I warned him as I began to play a piece that I had written years before. It paled in comparison to Edward's otherworldly composition, but he didn't seem to mind. Instead of telling me that I sucked and demanding his guitar back, he closed his eyes and bobbed his head to the beat before turning to the piano and running his fingers across the keys in harmony with my song. The result was a surprisingly good melody that hardly resembled my original piece of music.

Our private concert was cut short when lunch ended and the rest of the students filled into the classroom. Edward turned to me and whisper, "You should play more often, Bella. You don't suck as bad as you think." His tone was joking and I couldn't help but smile.

"You're not so terrible yourself," I flirted. It was a vast understatement, but a grin spread across his face that match the one I was currently wearing.

I held his guitar out to him, but he pushed it back towards me. "You'll need it. Forks High can't afford to supply instruments for the music department."

"Wow, that's just like my old high school. Our music building was called the Welfare Wing," I told him.

"Well, practically every part of this school fits that description. The science department, the athletic organizations… Actually, come to think of it, all of Forks pretty much sucks," he said. I laughed along with him, reveling in the ease of our conversation making. He was not an asshole, after all. Apparently that title was reserved just for James.

The teacher called the class to order and made me introduce myself to the class like a six year old. I went through the whole _"Hi, my name is Bella Swan…"_ spiel and all the while Edward shook with uncontrollable, silent laughter. I smirked to myself and threw him a nasty glare, which only made him cover his mouth with his hand.

Within the span of fifteen minutes, Forks had become exponentially more tolerable, and I had Edward Cullen to thank for that.

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**A/N: So, what do you think? I'm wicked interested to see what you have to say about this chappie especially the second part of it. What do you think of James vs. Edward? Review and let me know!! I get depressed if I don't get reviews so, not to guilt you into leaving me a bunch of them or anything...but DO IT!! Thanks!**

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	5. Chapter Five

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NOTE: Thank you so much for the reviews!!!! They were sooo helpful and I know have a few ideas for the next chapters. Please, if you have any suggestions or events you want to hear more about, review and I'll try my best to incorporate them into the plot. I love to recieve and read reviews so please don't skimp on me!!!

This chapter takes place all in the present and includes a lot of Edward and Bella (by popular demand), but expect a flashback next chappie.

Again, REVIEW and help me to breach the 50 mark! Such a small thing to ask ^_^! Enjoy!

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**Monday September 15, 2008**

Gym was atrocious, as to be expected. Apparently, the students were obligated to wear disgusting uniforms embellished with a large Spartan head screen printed directly across the chest. I was definitely not looking forward to having that crusty, scratchy cotton shirt rubbing against my bare skin for an hour each day, but thankfully my fractured wrist delayed that reality for another few weeks. After Coach Clapp supplied me with my future gym outfit, I carefully stuffed it into my backpack, avoiding direct contact with the rest of the bag's contents so as not to contaminate them.

I plopped myself down on the bleachers while the rest of the class half-heartedly played volleyball. Sports weren't exactly my forte and I was happy to be exempt from participating. My classmates would be safer with me a good distance away from any of the equipment. A quick scan of the crowd alerted me to the fact that Jessica and Lauren were in this gym period as well and I made a mental note to serve a ball at each of their heads when my wrist healed.

"Bella-Bella-Bobana! What's up girl?" My jaw clenched involuntarily. Mike had taken the liberty to completely butcher my name with his stupid sing-song lyrics. This was the exact same reason why I hadn't corrected him with my preferred nickname this morning. Isabella didn't have quite so many pet name options. I'd give Newton credit were credit's due—he sure knew how to annoy the crap out of people.

"Mike! You're in this class?" There was an obvious note of disappointment lacing my voice, but Mike was undeterred.

"Yup, Bella-bo. This is so great! Now we have English, lunch, _and _Gym together! I personally volunteer to be your partner once you get better. We'll probably be playing badminton by then," he said energetically. _Shit! This would have to stop!_

"Yeah…umm, maybe you should go fu…" I began rudely, unable to bear Newton's chipper attention any longer, but my sentiment was cut short when a bright white ball collided into the side of Mike's head.

I choked back a laugh as he stumbled into the bleachers, clutching his face which was now sporting a brilliant red shiner. That ball had some force behind it!

"Oops, sorry about that, Mickey. I was just going after the weak spot, and you're always the obvious target," chimed Alice, whose presence I hadn't noticed earlier. She smiled cheerfully and flashed me the peace sign before snatching up another ball and sending it sailing over the net where it once again hit Mike square in the face. "Twice in a row, Mi-key-Mike!" she stretched out his name as if chastising a small child. "You'd better step up you're 'A-game' if you wanna impress Bella."

With a look of determination, Mike pivoted so that he was facing the net and crotched in the ready position.

"Ready, Newton?" Alice asked innocently.

"Just serve the damn ball, Cullen. Talk's cheap," he snapped back obviously peeved.

A few soft, mellifluous giggles slipped from Alice's rosy lips. She tossed the ball two feet in the air and gracefully smacked it towards Mike who overzealous dove for it and missed.

"Ace, Ace in your face! Three for three. Come on is that all you got?" The combination of her trash talk and her tiny stature was simply hilarious. I snickered under my breath and shook my head in amusement. Most of the other students were downright geeking out.

"Miss Cullen! Stop embarrassing Newton," Coach Clapp called from the other side of the gym. It was obvious that he found the situation rather enjoyable, but was obligated to intervene. "And how many times do I have to tell you that those uniforms belong to the school. You're not allowed to decorate them!"

"I can't help it, Coach. I simply refuse to wear something so hideous. Pizzazz isn't a crime!" she argued, the sweet tones of her voice effortlessly winning over Coach Clapp.

"Yeah, yeah. You're very artistic, Alice, but you really can't be customizing school property." I had the nagging feeling that this wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation.

Alice was definitely a character, to say the least. She had sown sequins along the Spartan's helmet so that tiny rays of silver light refracted in every direction each time she shifted her position. Her sleeves and collar were trimmed with hot pink ribbon that was speckled with purple polka dots. Sitting just under her left shoulder, an embroidered patch of a globe superimposed by a peace sign added a nineteen seventies retro feel to her ensemble. Her shorts, which would have otherwise fallen to her mid-calf, were hemmed to sit four inches above her knees. Intricate geometric designs were stitched across the bleach white fabric using neon purple and green thread. This little pixie had somehow managed to transform her drab, mandatory gym suit into a chic fashion statement.

With a resigned sigh, Coach Clapp turned his attention back to the other court, realizing that he was fighting a losing battle.

The rest of the period was uneventful and I rejoiced when the afternoon announcements cackled through the old, blown-out intercom. I had survived my first day at Forks High and everything would get better from here, or so the saying goes.

Unfortunately, I was an exception to that generalization. After masterfully evading Mike Newton by hiding in the girls' bathroom while he scanned the hallway for me, I made my way to the parking lot. Most of the cars were already leaving by the time I slid into the cab and turned the key in the ignition.

But instead of roaring to life with earsplitting rumbles, the motor creaked pathetically and puttered out. I tried again and was met with the same results.

"Shit!" I hissed under my breath as I twisted the key to the far right. "Are you serious, Gypsy? Come on girl, grant me this one wish and I swear you can take my soul in return. Just get me the fuck out of Forks High School!" I dropped my head to the staring wheel in defeat.

"Car troubles?" A velvet-soft voice asked. My head snapped up to find Edward Cullen nonchalantly leaning against the bulky door of the Chevy, droplets of water gathering in his unruly bronze hair. For a second, I was lost in the depths of his compassionate emerald eyes, but I recovered quickly, desperate to appear as blasé as Edward.

"Well, the fates decided that I haven't been punished enough today," I told him as I yanked my keys from the ignition and shoved them into my pocket. He opened the car door for me and I hopped out into the vicious downpour.

"Is Forks really that bad?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Okay, it is that bad. But look on the bright side: one day down, three hundred and forty-nine days left until we graduate and you can leave Forks forever!" His faux excitement was adorable, but such dismal statistics were too depressing to be laughed at.

"Wow, when you put it that way…it just makes me want to throw myself into oncoming traffic!"

"Whoa, Bella. Do I need to put you on suicide watch?" Edward joked, shaking a sodden lock from his face.

"Not yet, but I'd keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior if I were you," I played along.

A shiver ran through my body as the chilling rain began to leak down my back. "Well, you should probably get going, Edward. I don't want you to catch a cold or anything." It seemed like a selfish move on my part to allow Edward to stand in the pouring rain for the sole purpose of providing me with his company. Not that I didn't enjoy it.

"Don't worry about me, my dad's a doctor." I was beginning to love the way his eyes shined with delight whenever he was trying to hold in a bout of laughter. "But do you really think I would leave a damsel in distress stranded at Forks High? Come on, Bella. I was brought up better than that."

"That's sweet, but I'm not exactly a damsel in distress. I'll take a look under the hood and see what I can do. It might be the alternator which would really suck, and in that case I'll just call up Charlie." Having a guy offer to do something for me out of the goodness of his heart was practically unheard. James would have left me sitting in the gutter miles from home; in fact he had actually done that on more than one occasion. It felt awkward to accept his offer of help after eighteen years of autonomy.

"Yeah, you could do that. _Or_ you could get your soggy butt into my car and let me drive you home now!" With that he grabbed my shoulders from behind and forced me around the front of my truck. His touch sent jolts of electricity down my spine which caused my stomach to do somersaults. Forks definitely had its positive aspects.

"Jeesh, somebody's at little pushy…OH MY GOD!" Completely consumed by the tingling sensation coursing through my body, I had been completely oblivious to where Edward was leading me until he stopped one car over and clicked on the automatic car started.

Edward Cullen, already beyond perfection in physical attributes alone and far superior to any other boy in regards to musical ability and friendly disposition, was now solidified at god status for all time. He was the owner of the shiny Volvo. Praise the lord almighty!!!! I would definitely be going to church this week.

"What! Is there something wrong?" His startled tone dragged me off cloud nine. I shook my head quickly to alleviate his anxiety, but had to take a moment to recollect myself before explaining further.

"_You_ own a Volvo S60 R?" I asked stupidly. No freaking duh. It was now the only other car in the parking lot and he was holding the keys.

"Yes. Is there something wrong with it?" His confusion was evident on his face.

"Are you kidding me? This baby could do some serious damage on a drag! Do you race it?" I was like a five year old at Christmas. The Wise Men had given me some amazing loot this year: a major hottie with impressive musical skills _and_ a fast car!

"Errr…I…umm…sometimes go fifty-five in a forty mile an hour zone."

"Ooo, you bad boy," I said sarcastically with a hint of amusement. Really? A car like this and he doesn't even open her up? Well, I could fix that.

"Isn't your dad a state trooper? Should you really be condoning fast driving?" he asked as he resumed his gentlemanly ways and opened the door for me. The soft, plush leather upholstery was magnificent, better than my Supra's.

"Are you kidding me? I believe in the autobahn so Forks is my own personal hell!" I answered. He gently closed the door and ran around to the driver's side.

"So I take it you're a car fan?"

"One could say that. Now, do you want to redeem yourself and take me for a drive?" I offered hopefully.

A crooked smile played at the corner of his mouth. It took all I had not to jump on top of him and grab his lip with my teeth. Damn, he was gorgeous. And sweet. And funny. And talented. And overall AMAZING!!!

"What did you have in mind?" He asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.

I grinned wildly. "You know these roads better than me. Take us someplace where we can really see what she's made of! What's her name?"

"Who's name?" Edward asked, bewildered.

"You're car." I stated matter-of-factly.

"Umm…I don't have a name for her."

"What! That's criminal. How's it possible to truly appreciate her superb performance when she's nothing better than a nameless orphan to you?" I screamed in indignation.

"I don't know. I've never really thought about it I guess. Jeez, Bella, not everyone can be as schizophrenic as you. Normal people don't have conversations with their cars!" There was that lopsided smile again.

"Name her. Do it now before I explode," I demanded blatantly.

"I don't know what to name her."

"You'd better come up with something fast. I'm ticking like a bomb."

"Umm…de Lune?" He tried.

"Hmm…not bad, not bad. Like Clair de Lune, very fitting, piano man." I was impressed by Edward's quick thinking. It was a great name.

"You're a Debussy fan?" He asked, intrigued.

"Of course, you gotta love the classics."

"True, very true." His voice was soft as he stared at the expansive road in front of him. Unlike the straight, flat roads of Arizona, this road wound in between trees and boulders. "How's this?"

"Do you think you can handle it, Eddie? Or should I take the wheel for you?" I wasn't exactly the sneakiest person in the world, but it was worth a shot.

"Yeah, right. Nobody's allowed to drive de Lune, but me!" He snickered at the pout that graced my face. "You're gonna have to do better than that. I grew up with Alice remember?"

I sighed and nodded as he crawled to a stop and made sure that my seatbelt was strapped securely.

"This should be interesting," he murmured as he rolled his shoulders and grasped the stick shift.

"That's what I'm hoping for."

For a kid who'd never broached the speed limit before, he had no issue accelerating to eighty-five in four point five seconds.

The trees blurred together, green and brown streams that belong on another planet. I felt the familiar, heart pumping adrenaline rush course through my system and I let out an exhilarated scream. Edward's chuckles could be heard over the soft purr of his engine as he popped the clutch and toyed with the gears.

"Hold on, Bella," he warned as he let up on the gas and fiercely yanked the wheel to the right, sending the car skidding around the bend. He managed to perform this maneuver while staying in between the yellow lines. Edward knew how to drive. He knew how to drive _well_.

I memorized the contours of his face as he stared ahead and followed the snaking road at breakneck speed. The way his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, the lines of his angular nose, his dark, hooded eyes that glimmered with excitement, two perfect crystal spheres the color of sea glass. All of this I studied with devoted attention. He was truly an Adonis in teenage boy form.

Feeling the heat of my engrossed stare, Edward diverted his gaze to meet mine. A warm blush spread rapidly across my cheeks as he flashed me his patented crooked smile and held my gaze, ignoring the road even though the speedometer read one hundred and ten.

Without looking down, he guided the stick shift into fourth gear and pressed the gas pedal farther into the floor. His lower body gracefully gyrated as his feet masterfully moved on top of the clutch and gas, which inciting some rather impure thoughts on my part.

With his eyes still locked on mine, he let the wheel slide underneath his pale fingers, allowing the car to rocket around another slick curve. He immediately jerked the wheel in the opposite direction as the road twisted around an ancient boulder. My mouth dropped into an impressed 'o.' There was no way he was pulling this shit off right now.

He downshifted and pressed onwards toward a steep incline. I threw my hands forward to stop myself from smashing into the dashboard.

Edward let out a robust chortle and pulled at the shift once again, his body moving against the clutch. With sudden, precise movements he threw the Volvo into reverse and fishtailed to a stop in a dirt turnaround. My eyes were wide with rapture.

"That up to your standards?" he asked smugly.

Unable to voice my praise, I nodded. My chest was heaving with exhilaration, so I arched my back and ran my fingers through my messy mane of brown curls to open up my airways. Involuntarily, bursts of soft chuckles gushed from my lips. That was the best driving I had ever witnessed; he could even give me a run for my money.

"Wow, you're stunned into silence. That's a good sign," he joked. I opened my eyes—which had fluttered closed as I regained my breath—and was met with his cheerful, glowing face.

"Where in God's name did you learn to drive like that?"

He shrugged indifferently. "It's a gift some of us are born with."

"Pssh. I could outdo you any day of the week. Wanna let me climb behind the wheel?" I tried.

He shook his head and tauntingly ran his fingers along the rim of the staring wheel. I shuddered with the thought of those fingers gliding across my bare skin.

He turned back toward me, his eyes suddenly serious. "I'm glad you moved here, Bella. I've never met anyone quite like you. Other than my family and the Hales, I normally don't like to talk to people. I know that probably sounds freakish, but I'm a pretty odd person. The thing is I actually want to be around you. You're not some cookie cutter Miss America who feels the need to start rumors and you stand up for yourself."

I chuckled grimly which caused a confused expression to cross Edward's face.

"You're nothing like the people I normally hang out with, Edward," I explained. "I tend to gravitate toward the dangerous guys who have major superiority complexes. You have no idea how great it feels to go an entire conversation without being called a bitch." Whenever I was around James, I always had to prove myself; show him that I was better than any other girl he could be with. I'd push myself to win races, to beat him in drags and try to gain the upper hand. But it was a completely different story with Edward. I finally felt like I could be myself; that it was okay to have flaws.

"People called you that?" There was a pronounced tone of anger in his voice.

I nodded, trying to figure out why he sounded so upset. It wasn't as if I didn't stick up for myself in those situations. Hardly a day went by where I didn't smack, jab, or knee somebody for being a complete toolbox.

"You need better friends," he said simply.

I snorted. That was an obvious fact seeing as though my friends had almost killed me a week before. "Yeah, but who would want to be _my_ friend?"

"Anyone with half a brain." I was amazed by the conviction in his voice. His hand moved from the staring wheel and gently traced my jaw bone, his touch sending tingles of warmth across my skin. I closed my eyes and pressed my cheek into his palm, praying that he would never let go. But he did.

"Sorry…umm…I should bring you home. It's almost four o'clock and you might want your dad to take a look at the Chevy. He should be home soon."

I tried not to appear downtrodden as Edward pulled back onto the road and turned down a street that looked familiar. For a moment there, it seemed like he was going to kiss me. But he didn't.

Within five minutes, we were pulling into my overgrown driveway. "Thanks for the ride," I told him as my feet sank into the mudslide our gravel driveway had become.

"Bella…I…" he began before letting out a resigned sigh and shaking his head minutely. "…I'll see you tomorrow." I could tell that this wasn't what he had wanted to say, but I let it slide and raised my hand in a friendly wave.

Edward Cullen was a nice boy and nice boys shouldn't be allowed anywhere near me. I tended to screw up the lives of people I cared about.

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**A/N: So...what did you think!! I'd love to know! Review me, please!!**

**(P.S: Sorry it took so long to update, it was an extremely busy week.)**


	6. Chapter Six

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NOTE: Thanks for the review, guys!! I love them sooo much! I had to split this chapter in half so some parts of it will make more sense when I update the next chapter. I just don't like to publish chapters longer than 4,000 words unless I have to. So stick with it and I promise some goodies to come!! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!

This chappie has a few pretty intense scenes and I want to hear what you have to say. So if you've never reviewed before please do so on this chapter! ENJOY!

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**Wednesday October 22, 2008**

The rustic 'charm' of Forks hadn't worn off despite the fact that I had now been exposed to it for more than a month. Mike Newton was just as annoying as ever, following me around like a golden retriever and not reacting to my snide, sometimes vicious snubs. He just didn't understand that I wasn't interested in his lame personal anecdotes.

In many ways Forks had actually gotten worse. Once my cast had been removed and all of my bruise vanished, boys who I'd never before talked to decided that it would be a good idea to ask be out on dates. Apparently, looks _are_ everything to the male population because none of these kids (except Newton) had given two shits about me when I looked like the Crypt Keeper. There were only so many witty remarks and rejections a girl could come up with before she got tired. I was currently at that point.

Worst of all, the cards were stacked against the chances of me and Edward maintaining a friendship. After that first, glorious day, I had very little contact with him and our sparse interactions were fairly formal. Occasionally, we would smile and wave at each other in the hall, but we were never able to find time to talk. At lunch, Edward sat with the teenage supermodel club and I chilled out on Misfit Island with Mike, Jessica and all the other people whom I loathed. Rosalie glared at me every once and a while, warning me to stay away from her posse, which included Edward.

Rosalie and I had developed quite the chummy relationship. She would jab her bony elbow into my gut whenever she walked by me in the hall and I would hurl a heavy textbook at her head in return. She would call me a 'wrist-cutting-slut' and I would retaliate with a classy 'diseased skank' remark.

In Music Theory class, I was forced to sit on the left side of the room with all of the other guitarists. Edward remained at his piano, which was as far away from me as possible.

We never meet up after school either. This was again due to Rosalie the Uber Bitch who was now forcing Emmett and Edward to give her rides home each and every day.

All and all…Forks sucked balls!!

"So, Bells, what do you say about coming to my rager Saturday? It's gonna be insane!" Mike asked me at lunch.

"Yeah, everyone's going! You should come, too," Jessica told me without an ounce of sincerity. Lately, she pretty much agreed with anything Newton said regardless of whether it was a point that could be logically agreed upon.

"I could drive you up if you wanted," Eric Yorkie, one of my new admirers, offered. No offense to Eric or anything, but he skeeved me out in a 'future pedophile' kind of way.

"Hmm…let me think long and hard about this one…No." The sinister cheerfulness in my voice added to the sarcasms that nobody picked up on.

"Oh, come on Bella! It'll be a blast! My cousin's even supply us with a couple of kegs!" Mike added.

"You don't have to drink if you don't want to, though," Angela piped up. "I won't be so you'll have company."

That broke my resolve. Angela was going to a drinking party where a bunch of guys would be blitzed out of their minds. She was an attractive girl and way too sweet to defend herself if one of those scumbags tried to pull a fast one on her. She needed me and I couldn't let her down.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Fine. What time?"

"YES!!!! I'll pick you up at eight," Eric exclaimed.

"No. No, you won't because if you come anywhere near my house, I will personally take my father's pistol and shove it up your ass. Got it?" I was being a little harsh, but these boys seriously could not take a hint.

"Ooo, Bella you feisty little girl. That's a little too kinky for my liking," Eric replied in what I took to be his sexy voice. Mike glowered at him and Tyler, another member of the Bella Fan Club, snickered into his hand.

"Too kinky for you, Eric? Come on. We all know you pack fudge on the weekends, so maybe you can bring Willy Wonka with you to the party," I snapped. That shut Eric right up.

"Okay, so you're coming?" Angela asked, more to calm the aggressive atmosphere than anything else.

"Yeah." She grinned and commenced a longwinded discussion about an upcoming Chemistry test. Mike, Eric and Tyler sank back into their seats having no place in the conversation, which was Angela's intent. I flashed her a grateful smile.

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**Friday July 21, 2006**

Where the fuck was he? He told me that he would pick me up at seven! And here I was waiting on the corner of Fifty-Eighth Street and Cactus, fearing for my life as all the freaks came out of hiding. Did he not fucking care about my well being?

I had snuck out of my house under the false pretense of sleeping over my friend Leslie's. Technically it wasn't a lie. I would be at a girl name Leslie's house tonight, but she wasn't really my friend. There was a drag starting at eight thirty and she was the hostess of the after party. James had convinced me not to race, probably because I had smoked him in the last two drags and his pride had taken a hit. So I humored him. The pot wasn't that big anyway; I wouldn't be losing much cash.

But he was _supposed_ to be here forty-five minutes ago and I was pissed! When the ugliest he-she in existence winked at me as she (or he) went by, I decided it was in my best interest to leave.

The small autobody shop that James' family ran was only a few blocks away. He was probably working late and lost track of time, I reasoned.

Clutching my pepper spray to my heart, I made the trek to his garage with minimal prostitute confrontations. His Eclipse was still parked on the street in front of the shop, its metallic forest green paint job reflecting the yellow hue of the streetlamps. There were no lights on in the building, however, which struck me as odd. I rapped on the door loudly, in case James was in the adjoining office. No response. I was beginning to get worried. The crime rate in this part of the city was chart-topping, so I tried the knob and my fears escalated as the door easily creaked open.

"James! James! Are you here?" I yelled frantically, scanning the ground for blood trails. I found nothing. "James!"

Everything seemed to be in order, no overturned shelves or signs of struggle. The dim gleam of a red light caught my eye as I passed the windowed-door of the paint booth so I craned my neck to see inside.

Big mistake. My jaw tightened, my eyes narrow, and my heart began palpitating at super speed. That BASTARD!

James had some ugly chick with clown hair pinned up against the far wall. He was grasping her ass and pushing his groin into her hips as she clawed at his bare back and made an extremely stupid scrunched up expression. He whipped her around and roughly tossed her to the ground where he straddled her in between his legs.

What the FUCK! My boyfriend was cheating on me with Bo-Bo the clown!! She wasn't even pretty!

Oh, hell no! They would not get away with this unscathed! Nobody leaves me waiting alone on a street corner while they bang another chick. My eyes darted around and zoned in on a bottle of car oil on a nearby shelf which I quickly snatched up.

The two of them were so engrossed in their fuckfest that they didn't notice my presence until I empted the entire bottle of motor oil on them. "NEED SOME LUB?" I roared.

"Bella?...I was just…" James tried to detangle himself from Bo-Bo's legs, but she was not relinquishing her hold, despite the copious amount of thick black liquid that now covered her body.

"Save it, you MOTHER FUCKER!" I hissed, shoving my foot into his chest as I exited the booth. I slammed the door shut, grabbed a crowbar and stormed out of the building in a heated tizzy.

With an earsplitting crash, I smashed out the driver's side window of his Eclipse and unlatched the lock.

"SWAN!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" He hollered as he sprinted towards me. But he was too late. It took me less than five seconds to hotwire his car and speed away, leaving James standing on the curb in his tighty-whities.

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"Where's Jay-boy at?"

"He caught an STD. I'm taking his place," I told Laurent, a fellow racer with an obnoxious false English accent. The race was being held on the street in front of Volterra. The Volutri had pulled some strings and illegally shut down the entire road, despite the fact that this was only a minor drag. Laurent and I were up first.

"Whatever. We already have his money anyways," he said as he shoved past the throng of spectators and climbed into his sleek Volkswagen Jetta. I edged to the starting line and he soon followed.

I revved my engine and clicked on all of the devices. Aro parted the crowd and made his way over to the cars. He winked at me which added to my fury, but I had no time to dwell on his gesture, as his expensive silk handkerchief touch the ground seconds later.

I floored the gas pedal and shifted into first, shooting off from the starting line before Laurent had a chance to put his Jetta in gear. Now came play time. I threw the Eclipse into third gear, skillfully double shifting and accelerating down the stretch of pavement. The speedometer inched past one hundred as I not so gently jammed it into fifth and rocketed forward, leaving Laurent far behind me.

Desperate to gain the lead, he hit his NOS boosters and whizzed by me, the back end of his car swaying uncontrollably under the force.

Too soon, idiot, I thought. With perfect accuracy, my thumbs slammed against the nitrous activators which ignited and sent me hurtling forward. Effortlessly, I zoomed by Laurent, flicking him off in the process. The race took all of ten seconds, but the adrenaline rush that flared up inside of me added to my already pissed off mood.

Instead of skidding to a stop, I yanked on the emergency brake and sent the car spinning into a streetlight. The satisfying crunch of glass was better than sex, or at least sex with James. I restarted the stalled car and sped into a stop sign which snapped and crashed through the windshield. Snatching up the crowbar, I hopped from the cab and began furiously beating every inch of James' stupid, shiny piece of crap. A few people in the crowd cheered, some questioned my actions, and others looked on in pure confusion.

After I was completely satisfied with my work, I turned towards them. "Tell James where to find his precious baby!" This elicited a larger portion of cheers.

"Hells-Bells is fucking insane! Woo-hoo," somebody screech. Others began chanting my name and throwing stones at James' car. He wasn't exactly a favorite amongst the racing crowd.

I walked away feeling slightly better than before.

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**Thursday October 23, 2008**

"Pair up! Knock out tournament, today! The winning team gets a free 'no change!'" shouted Coach Clapp over the commotion. Volleyball hadn't been so bad for me; I could easily stand in the back row and pretend to be productive. But two person team sports were another story.

The possibilities for bodily harm were astronomical!

"Bella! Hey, partner," Mike hollered as he jogged over to me. Damn, I should've seen this coming. We hadn't played badminton yet, so this was his first opportunity to be my partner. "So, I'm pretty sick at basketball. We're gonna win this!"

"Yeah, and I suck royally so you may wanna find another partner," I hinted.

"Oh, I suck too, Bella." Alice had popped out of nowhere with a cheerful smile on her face and a bounce in her step. "Mike, would it be totally terrible of me to ask you to partner with Ben? I don't want to drag anybody down with my shitty B-ball skills and since Bella is equally as suckish, it's sort of a win-win situation." Her charm was cranked up to maximum power.

"Ummm…well, I kinda already promised Bella. I mean, I'm sure it's not a big deal if you're not any good. I know that I could care less if Bella misses a few shots." His sorry attempt at a rebuttal was not going to work on Alice.

"Oh, I know, Mike. But it so much easier on the self-esteem if you're not the one to lose the game for your team. I'm sure Bella feels the same way." She sent me a suggestive look.

"Oh, definitely. I totally agree with her, Mike. I wouldn't want to bring down your flow or anything," I played along.

Mike's face fell, but he pretended that he wasn't let down. "Well, if that's what you want..." I nodded and he jogged past me in order to snag Ben Cheney as his partner.

"Thanks for that," I told Alice.

"No problem. I had a feeling Mike would try to make a move today. He really wants to ask you out, but he's too wimpy to actually flat out confront you. I'd watch out at his party on Saturday, he's a pretty ridiculous drunk. You may have to bring a blunt object for protect." We took a seat on the bleachers while the first set of teams began shooting baskets.

"That's just great. I can't believe I agreed to go!" I exclaimed.

Alice chuckled. "It won't be too bad. He normally has one or two parties a year whenever his parents go on vacation and they're always pretty fun. Not that I'm complimenting Newton or anything."

"Wait, you're going Saturday?" I asked. The Cullens and Hales didn't normally socialize with the rest of the school, so this newsflash came as a surprise. And if Alice was going, then maybe somebody else would be there too.

"Yup. And Edward is also going to be there, if that's why you're asking." A warm blush swept across my cheeks. Damn, this little pixie was intuitive.

"Oh, that's good. Edward's a pretty cool kid," I tried to act as nonchalant as possible.

"Yeah, he is. He's had it rough though. It really isn't fair," she said somberly.

"Are you talking about his parent's death?" I asked, knowing that this was probably what she was alluding too. I was curious to hear more about what actually happened, but it seemed like a disrespectful thing to ask Edward about.

"Mmhmm. Edward used to live in Chicago before he moved in with us. His father inherited a fortune from his family's steel company and was one of the city's largest philanthropists. He dedicated his life to helping out the impoverished, homeless people; building affordable houses, providing new jobs, opening up soup kitchens…the works.

"When he married my Aunt Elizabeth, she convinced him to reform orphanage care as well, an issue she was adamant about. Edward spent more time volunteering at soup kitchens and playing with the orphans than he did at his own home. He never minded though. Edward still volunteers at the Settle Home, it's just second nature to him.

There has never been another family that contributed more to society than the Masens and it just goes to show how messed up the world is. They were murdered seven years ago at a charity fundraiser. Uncle Edward and Aunt Elizabeth were handing over a check for two million dollars to one of the orphanages in the city and some lunatic pulled out gun and shot them down. I don't even know why he killed them. Apparently, he wasn't all there in the head. But Edward was sitting in the front row. He watched his mother and father die," she trailed off, a tear glistening in the corner of her pale gray eye.

I was stunned into silences. I couldn't even imagine watching Renee or Charlie die, especially not at such a young age. Edward was strong. He prevailed when most kids would have gone crazy.

"Aunt Elizabeth was my mother's younger sister. Before they died, I had only met Edward once, but our mother's had a strong relationship. I knew all of the childhood stories and secrets that those two shared. Naturally, mom brought Edward to live with us as soon as she heard the news. He was staying at the very same orphanage that his parents had worked so hard to build. Just to add a little more trauma to his already messed up life.

I loved him right away, though. The first night he was with us he didn't say a word. Not on the drive home from the airport or at dinner. He wouldn't respond to our questions. It hurt to see the pain in his eyes; nothing has ever come close to comparing to that amount of sadness. So, I snuck into his room that night. The covers were pulled up to his chin, but his eyes locked on mine as I opened the door and tiptoed to his bed.

We stared at each other for a good ten minutes and then he smiled at me. I'll remember that smile until the day I die. It was hopeful and sad at the same time. We didn't say a word to each other that night. I just clambered up under his sheets and hugged him until he fell asleep. Ever since then, we've been extremely close. My mother says we have twin souls because we were born on the same day, it's weird how those things work out. So now I have two awesome brothers instead of one." She fluttered her eyelashes to dislodge a tear and put on a trembling smile.

"He's really been through a lot, huh? You're an amazing little person, you know that? Edward's lucky to have such a sweet sister," I told her as I wrapped my arm around her thin frame. I wasn't much of a comforter, but Alice had a magnetic personality and I couldn't resist offering her a small bit of relief.

"Thanks. I try to be as a good a sister to him as he is a brother to me. And…" she trailed off mischievously. "…he's been talking about you a lot lately. I think you have successful seduced every boy in this school, with the exception of Jasper and Emmett, in which case I would probably kill both of them for being unfaithful bastards."

"Ohh…we have Music Theory together and he let me borrow his guitar. That's probably what he talks about. It's no big deal," I murmured. He was talking about me? This was good news.

A crooked smile that closely resembled her brother's shot across her face. "Bella, I think I know my brother well enough to realize when he's crushing on a girl, which is never…until now. I'm forcing him to go to Newton's party Saturday and you are going to keep him company," she commanded. "Don't even pretend that you don't like him, I know you do."

"We haven't even talked since the first day of school," I told her.

"That's because Rosalie's a bitch and she really doesn't like you that much. Edward doesn't even realize that she's forcing you away from him. He just thinks that Emmett has gone green and wants to take one car to school each morning. That's just part of Rose's scheme to prevent any Bella/Edward time. It's rather annoying actually. She's over our house every single afternoon now. I've resorted to going home with Jasper just so I don't have to listen to her bitching and moaning all the time. Jasper's loving the peace and quiet, though," she explained.

"What does he say about me?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Well, he stands up for you all of the time. Whenever Rose says something mean about you, he jumps right in. Like yesterday at lunch she said something about how you probably cut yourself in the girls' bathroom and he told her to stop being an obnoxious stuck up snob, which is Edward's version of an insult."

My shoulders drooped minutely. He wasn't really bringing me up in conversation. Rose was just insulting me and he was simply being an overall nice person.

"Believe me, Bella, he likes you," she stated firmly. "I'm always right."

"Whatever you say."

"Trust me, I'm _always_ right."

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**A/N: So...What do think about Edward's history? What about Bella's crazy flip out? **

**Please remember that Bella is pretty frustrated in Forks because the people (Angela, Edward, and Alice excluded) seem fake to her and the one person she wants to be around is being monopolized by Rosalie. So she acts like a total bitch and kind of chuckles to herself when the people she's snubbing don't even realize that she is being a total bitch to them. **

**So the next chapter will include the party scene and will make sense of some of my plot choices in this chapter. Sorry if this chappie had a somewhat slow plot, but this information needed to be told sooner or later and Alice will begin to have a larger role in this story. (cuz she's my favorite!) **

**SO REVIEW me and tell me what you think! I promise you're in for a treat next chapter!!**

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	7. Chapter Seven

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**NOTE: Sorry I didn't get this chapter up as fast as I wanted to. I hope you enjoy it anyway. There are a few funny parts and a few serious parts, but I'll explain those at the end of the chapter! Please Review, you guys have been amazing!!**

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**Saturday October 25, 2008**

"Bells!" Charlie bellowed from the base of the stairs. "Package for you!"

I closed _Sense and Sensibility_ and bounded down the steps. My toe caught on the carpet and I tumbled into Charlie's outstretched arms. "Watch it, kiddo. What do you do when I'm not here to catch you?"

"I fall flat on my face. Don't worry, though, I have a thick head," I joked as I straightened and took the small brown box from his hands. "Thanks, Dad."

"No problem. It's posted marked from Phoenix. I bet your mother's sending you care packages. Or survival packages," he chuckled morbidly and returned to the worn out couch.

"Yeah, probably." I felt bad for my father. It was obvious that he still loved my mother and he was constantly afraid that I would follow in her footsteps. "But, Forks isn't so bad. The rain can be nice sometimes."

Charlie perked up, his eyes sparkling with happiness. "See, I told you that you'd like it here."

I smiled and nodded my head. It was so easy to make Charlie happy. With the box tucked under the crook of my arm, I scurried back upstairs and flopped down on my bed. I let my index finger slide under the packaging tape and pulled off the brown paper wrapping. I furrowed my brow in confusion when a letter addressed to **'Miss Swan'** fell to my lap. The loopy, cursive lettering was definitely not Renee's penmanship. I unfolded the thick, ivory color parchment:

**Seattle Coastal.**

**~AV**

My heart stopped for a fraction of a second. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. I dug through the packaging peanuts and disinterred a sleek GPS system. My eyes widened in shock and I abruptly shot up from the mattress. I kicked the GPS under my bed and shredded the letter into confetti.

I didn't owe the Volutri anything, but they were coming to collect. Well, they'd have to come in person because their mind games weren't going to work on me.

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**Saturday October 25, 2008—10:13 PM**

My truck had refused to start for the third time this month so Angela offered to drive me to Newton's. Charlie agreed to let me spend the night at Angela's after the party was over. I'm pretty sure he thought that Mike was just inviting a few respectable friends over to keep him company while his parents were away. So much for being the suspicious state trooper. She picked me up promptly at ten o'clock and cruised down the empty road doing the speed limit of thirty miles an hour.

"So, I hear Newton's parties are pretty fun," I started small talk.

"I wouldn't know. This is the first time I've ever been to one, but most of the school attends so it should be fun," she said, her eyes trained on the road ahead of her.

"Why are you going this time, then?" She didn't seem like the wild party-goer type.

A smile played at her lips. "Ben Cheney is going and…umm…he's really nice, you know? So I told him I'd come. He says he's not much of a drinker either and I'm sure that he won't have many coherent people to talk to..."

"Say no more. I completely understand."

We pulled into Mike's crowded driveway minutes later. Half of the school was already there. Angela parked her Cutlass underneath an old oak tree and we both jogged towards the crammed porch.

"Ooo, there's Ben. Come on," she screeched over the earsplitting music.

"I'm actually gonna see who's here. You go have fun with Ben." Angela didn't need me hanging around when she was finally making a move on a boy she obviously liked, so I scanned the crowd for Edward or Alice.

"Are you sure?" Angela asked, uncertain.

"Yes! Now go!" I jokingly pushed her towards the couch Ben was sitting on.

The student body of Forks High seemed four times bigger when it was crammed in Mike's middle-class home. People where squished together in the living room, dancing to the crappy rap music Mike supplied and drinking from red plastic cups which overflowed with yellow liquid whenever they energetically swayed to the music.

I worked my way through the throng, dodging showers of Keystone Light as I passed, and entered the equally crowded kitchen. Two large kegs were perched on the counter, attracting the attention of the entire football team. Emmett was currently guzzling down a fast moving stream of beer while his teammates cheered him on.

"Jasper! Grab her before she escapes," Alice piped from across the room.

Startled, I looked around and caught sight of Alice's tall, blond boyfriend. He smiled sheepishly and placed his large hand on my shoulder. "Sorry, but she's the boss," he told me as he guided me towards the little pixie of a girl.

"You!" she pointed her pale, index finger in my direction and stared at me through her eyelashes. "Are totally on my team!" She was already smashed and it wasn't even eleven o'clock yet. Poor thing, probably weighed as much as one of my legs.

"Okay?" I stammered as I tried to piece together what she was saying. "What are we playing?"

"Beer PONG!!" She screeched, throwing her arms into the arm and bouncing on her heels. "Jasper, where's my brother?"

"Over there, monopolizing the keg. He better lay off. I doubt Rosalie will clean the puke off of his clothes when he hurls," Jasper said offhandedly, gesturing to Emmett who was now standing on top of the kitchen counter pumping his fist in the air.

"NO! NOT EMMETT!" She howled with unnecessary volume. "Edward, where is my darling brother, Eddie?" Now she was whispering so softly that we both had to lean forward to hear what she was saying.

"I don't know. He disappeared an hour ago." Alice put her hand on her hip and tapped her tiny foot impatiently.

"You're his best friend! Go find him. Tell him that Bella has arrived!" She ordered.

"Remind me never to let you drink again," he said as he collected her lips with his and hurried off to find Edward.

"Don't worry, Bella. I've got you covered!" she patted my back and turned to the kitchen table which was set up with two triangular groupings of plastic cups. "WHO WANTS TO PLAY US?"

"We will!" Jessica had just entered the room with Mike and was overly enthusiastic to be a member of the in crowd.

"What's up Bella? Having fun?" Mike asked as he pushed past a few cheerleaders.

"I just got here," I told him. Talking to Mike Newton was not what I signed up for.

"Oh, well…that's cool," he tried to salvage the conversation.

"HEY! Stop fraternizing with the enemy! YOU'RE GOING DOWN, MIKE!" Alice hiccupped. Even when she was smashed there was a subtle charm about her.

I chuckled and started us off with a perfectly aimed throw which plopped the ball right into the lone cup at the tip of the triangle. Jessica's throw missed the mark entirely and went whizzing past the table, only to ricochet off the patio doors and smack her directly in the eye.

"HOLY SHIT!! HAHAHA," Alice collapsed to the floor in a fit of uncontrollable laughter, her stilettos kicking the air.

"Geez, Jessica! This isn't the Major leagues," Mike snapped.

"MY TURN!" Alice hopped back to her feet and snatched the ping-pong ball from the table. She closed her eyes, bent her knees and used her entire body to force the ball into a graceful arch. It landed directly in the second cup. "HA!" She high-fived me and did a little victory dance. "DRINK UP BITCHES!"

The Alice/Bella Combo was pretty much unstoppable. Apparently, all of our athletic skills were concentrated into the art of throwing a small, white ball into plastic cups, because neither of us missed a shot, despite the fact that little Alice was completely wasted. Mike stormed out of the kitchen when Jessica failed to swat away my bounce shot which plunked into the last remaining cup. Was that all it took to get rid of Mike Newton? That information would have to be filed away for future use.

"Ali," Jasper called. "I can't find him anywhere! I'm worried!"

"He's probably reading a book or something! Party pooper! Sorry, Bellzzzz. My brother's lame. Don't take it personally, though. He didn't know you were coming," she swayed on her feet a little which cause Jasper to throw his arms out to steady her. "Now, Mr. Hale, follow me." She snatched up a bottle of strawberry flavored vodka and led Jasper out of the kitchen by one of his belt loops.

Well, this was just great. Edward was MIA, Alice had left to go do God knows what with Jasper, and Angela was getting her flirt on with Ben Cheney. As the saying goes: When in Rome…

"OKAY, BOYS…I'll show you how it's done." Emmett and his posse hooted as I stabbed my house key into a can of Coors and effortlessly shotgunned it. "Anybody up for a Jager Bomb?" There was a collective explosion of cheers as the boys snatched up cups and began popping open Red Bull.

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I wasn't one to drink, but that didn't mean I was a lightweight. Parties were commonplace in Phoenix, especially with the racing crowd, and I'd learned how to hold my liquor years ago. But tonight, I drank more than I should have. Seven beers, two Jager Bombs, and a couple of shots later I was feeling a little dizzy.

Using Emmett's massive arm as a stabilizer, I got to my feet and stumbled towards the stairs. My legs splayed beneath me as I slipped on a puddle of beer, but Rosalie caught my arm and steadied me (Yeah, we were both that drunk).

Unsure of which door was the bathroom, I tried the first one that I came across. My fingers ran along the wall until they snagged on the switch. I flicked on the lights and rubbed my eyes as they adjusted to the sudden brightness. When I regained the ability to see, it became apparent that I wasn't in the bathroom.

Instead of a glorious toilet, I found a shirtless Lauren wrapped around some boy. She tossed her hair out of her face and glared at me. "Get the FUCK out! Can't you see we're busy?"

"Oh, sorry…" I turned to leave, but froze when I caught sight of the bronze tufts that were so very familiar to me. My heart seize as the air rushed from my chest. Edward was with Lauren all of this time? Mortified, I slammed the door shut without a backwards glance.

The buttons on the back of my shirt scratched against the wall as I sank to the ground. Tears were flowing down my cheeks before I even realized that I was sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn't even use the excuse of an emotional imbalance due to the alcohol; I was pretty sure that this experience had shocked the liquors numbing effect out of my system. The only time I'd ever cried was when my grandmother had died and now I couldn't stop.

For a few short days, Alice had me convinced that her brother was interested in me. He had seemed so perfect, so much better than what I'd known or even deserved. But it turned out that he didn't want me. And I couldn't blame him for that. I couldn't even smash Lauren's face in because she hadn't done anything wrong either. Edward didn't belong to me. He never did and apparently, never will.

"Bella?" Alice poked her head out of the adjacent room. I quickly wiped my hand across my tear streaked face. Unable to bare the humiliation, I made a dash for the closest exit, but her tiny hand shoved me back to the floor. She dropped to her knees and pulled my head into her shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her wave Jasper away which sent me into another round of hysterics.

"What's the matter, hun?" she asked, compassion filling her voice. Apparently, she had sobered up.

"Nothing." I didn't want to talk about it, especially not to Edward's sister.

"Something's obviously wrong! Did somebody hurt you?" The concern in her voice turned vicious. She pulled herself away from me and began opening the door I'd just slammed shut. That was it, I had to get away. With more dexterity than I'd ever possessed with a normal blood alcohol content, I darted down the stairs.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!" I heard Alice bellow, but I didn't stick around to hear the rest. I made a beeline for the patio door, sprinted past Emmett and Rosalie who were doing something mildly disturbing with their tongues, and hurtled out the door. The fresh air hit me with full force, stinging my damp eyes with its chilling bite. A few kids were passed out on the back lawn, but besides that there was nobody else around.

With impressive and unexpected deftness, I scrambled up a weeping willow tree and once again succumbed to a painful wave of sobs.

I don't know if two minutes or two hours passed. I simply lost track of time. I lost track of reality as well, and practically fell out of the tree when a hand gently rubbed my shoulder.

The hands grabbed me tighter and prevented me from falling ten feet down.

"I'm sorry." I'd recognize that voice anywhere. Right now, its owner was the last person in the world I wanted to see.

"It's fine," I snapped and pointedly turned away.

"Please, let me explain!" he pleaded.

"You don't have to explain anything, Edward. You didn't do anything wrong." I prayed to God that he wouldn't hear the pain in my voice. It was downright embarrassing.

"Please, Bella." He threw his legs over the tree branch I was sitting on and scooted toward me. Involuntarily, I turned to meet his gaze. And of course I couldn't look away once those brilliant jade spheres had gathered my attention.

"Edward, just answer me this one question. I know that we're not very close, but it seemed like there was something there…didn't you feel it too?"

"Of course, Bella! I've never met anyone who could command a room the way you do. That day I drove you home was possible the best experience of my life. It may seem pathetic, but I don't care. You were so full of life, it was intoxicating. I felt this sense of carefree satisfaction, something I haven't felt since I was a little boy. I've been on cruise control the last few years. Not really feeling much of anything. My only outlet was my music and I somehow tricked myself into thinking that that was enough. But you…you're too good to be true. And that normally means that you'll disappear." His face was inches away from mine which unexpectedly caused me to gag.

"Are you bleeding?" I asked, clutching my hand to my nostrils to prevent the rusty smell of blood from assaulting my nose.

"Oh, yeah. Umm…are you okay." He pulled away, dabbing his forehead with his sleeve.

"Yeah, I just don't like the way blood smells," I explained as I kicked myself for interrupting his spiel.

"I'm not even going to ask," he chuckled.

"No. But I will."

I heard him sigh. "That's what I was trying to explain before. The only reason why I come to Newton's stupid parties is to make sure Alice doesn't get herself killed. I trust Jasper and everything, but he can get just as trashed as she does when he wants to. Emmett…well, he's Emmett which means that he's always on another plane of existences. So I play big brother and designated driver…"

"Yeah, that plan works out so well when you're locked in a bedroom with some other girl," I snarled.

"Please, Bella. Let me explain myself before you jump to conclusions."

"I'm not jumping anywhere. I saw what I saw, Edward. I have eyes."

"Please." His puppy dog look forced me to obey, against my better judgment. "Thank you. Jasper told me that he was planning to stay sober tonight because he has an interview with an MIT professor tomorrow, so I was pretty much useless. Jasper would be attached to Alice's hip as usual, so I grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniel's and headed up stairs to see if Newton had any good books. Of course, he didn't so I got stuck reading _How to Count Cards Like A Pro_ for an hour…that's where Lauren comes in. She was pathetically drunk, or so it seemed and she basically threw herself at me. I caught her and set her down on the floor. I was planning on bringing her downstairs, so I turned to put Newton's book back on the shelf…and she sort of…hit me over the head with the Jack Daniel's bottle…"he trailed off.

"She what?" Did I hear him correctly?

"I know. My pride is wounded more than you'll ever know. I should thank you for walking in on us when you did. Lauren's pretty much one of the freakiest girls of all time."

I shook my head in confusion. "She knocked you unconscious, just so she could get a little action?"

"I don't know if she was planning to go that far…Again, my ego is in shambles. She's done this before. Well, sort of. It was a peep rally sophomore year, don't even ask," he said with a small grin on his face. I'd already heard that story.

"You think this is funny?" I asked, gesturing to his grin.

"A little. She's such a psycho," he muttered under his breath.

"So, you didn't _want _to be with her?" I asked for clarification.

"No!" All of his attention turned towards me. "I wanted you! I've wanted you since I met you in the music room. It seems like every opportunity I have to steal you for myself is taken away from me and I can't understand why! This whole Lauren situation proves it!"

"Proves what?"

"That I can't ever have what I want. I can't have you, or my parents…." I saw where this was going.

"Edward! I'm right here! I'm not going anywhere! I promise!" I cooed.

Before I could say another word, Edward tangled his fingers into my hair and pulled my surprised body forward. His lips were soft and succulent as they fervently worked against mine. I felt his tongue traced the curves of my lower lip before I opened my mouth to grant him access. My tongue danced with his as he slid his arm down my back and hoisted me onto his thighs, which were straddling the tree trunk. My legs automatically wrapped around his waist and my fingers playfully tugged at his tresses. I threw my head back as he planted kisses along my collarbone, his teeth gently nibbling at my skin.

He followed the curve of my neck with his soft kisses and nuzzled my jaw with his nose before reclaiming my parted lips in a passionate kiss that made me moan.

I would never look at a tree the same way again.

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**A/N: The point of this chapter was to finally get these two together and contrast Bella's feelings for Edward with her feelings for James. If you think back on her psychotic flip out on James car last chapter, she didn't was more pissed off than actually hurt. When Edward, a boy she's never really had a relationship with, is found with another girl, she completely falls apart, which is so out of character for my version of Bella. Oh, and let's just pretend that Mike's cousin owns a liquor store bcause I realize that there was a crazy amount of alcohol at his party lol. **

**I'm planning on bringing back the James and the Volturi within the next two chapters so that means I'll be completing the inital race scene, the one where Bella crashed. Please tell me what you think about the chapter. REVIEW!! REVIEW!!!REVIEW!!! I promise some better Bella/Edward lemons if I get beaucoup des REVIEWS! **

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	8. Chapter Eight

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NOTE 3/4/09: I messed up the dates on this chapter and the next, just fixing them! Sorry.

NOTE: Thanks for the reviews! You have no idea how much I love to get them. You're in for a treat with this chapter. I've been so good with these updates latly, pumping out the chapters like you wouldn't believe...so all of you lurkers who just read and don't review, that's cool, but come on...tell me what you think! And those of you who do review, I LOVE YOU!!

ENJOY!!!

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**Sunday October 26, 2008**

After spending two splendid hours with Edward in the weeping willow tree, we both reluctantly had to say goodbye. Emmett had passed out on top of a keg and nobody could move his massive form. Rosalie was bitching about what a drunken lug he was, so Alice came searching for Edward's help.

Angela and I were supposed to be back at her parents' house by two in the morning, which meant we were already an hour late by the time we tiptoed into the living room, careful not to disturb her sleeping family. Needless to say, we both fell asleep instantly, still garbed in our party clothes.

I awoke to the sound of pots and pans amplified to an excruciatingly painful decibel level, but my splitting headache could not tame the wide grin that spread across my face.

"Somebody seems very chipper this morning? Especially considering the fact that I witnessed you sing the French national anthem with the entire football team last night," Angela said in between yawns.

"Hey, _La Marseillais _is a very ear pleasing tune," my giggles acted as evidence of her first observation. "I could say the same about you. How did things go with Ben?"

She was quiet for a moment. "He's perfect! He asked me to diner next Friday. I really hope things work out. There aren't many boys like him at Forks High."

"Mmm…I know what you mean."

"Is there something that I'm missing?" Angela propped herself up by her elbow and gazed at me attentively.

"Yes, but all I'm gonna say is that Edward Cullen is a pretty nice boy, too." Her jaw dropped a fraction of an inch, but she quickly corrected herself and slouched back into her sleeping bag. A soft chuckle, which she disguised as a cough, escaped her lips. This is why I loved Angela. She didn't pry.

I waved goodbye to Angela as she backed out of my driveway and disappeared behind the thick curtain of greenery. There was a black Ford parked next to the cruiser, which piqued my curiosity. I had yet to meet any of Charlie's friends, besides the men who worked at the police station.

"You mind handing me the monkey wrench," a voice called from under my truck. I jumped a foot in the air and snatched up the heavy metal wrench, ready to use it as a weapon if need be.

"Who the hell are you? I swear, I'm a pretty good aim!" I warned the disembodied voice.

A tall, Native American boy rolled out from underneath the truck, wearing about half a quart of car grease and a very amused expression.

"Yeah, I'm sure you're lethal," he said as he dusted himself off and held out his hand in greeting. "I'm Jacob Black. Charlie asked me to take a look at the Chevy. It used to be my dad's so I'm used to fixing her up. She can be pretty temperamental."

I took his hand and offered him an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. I was a little startled. I'm Bella."

"Yeah, you're dad talks about you all of the time. It can get annoying sometimes, but now I see the allure," Jacob sent me a small grin, which I uncomfortable returned. "So, tell me, Bella, how the hell do you survive driving at a shocking twenty miles an hour with this piece of junk?"

"Hey, Gypsy has feelings too, you know! Besides, you underestimate her. I've gotten her up to forty before. Of course she broke down two miles later, but still," I defended my flighty hunk of metal.

Jacob laughed and held his hands out in defense. "Whoa, excuse me. Didn't mean to offend you or anything."

Jake was an okay kid. He had a friendly air and a good sense of humor. I'd have to tell Charlie to bring him around more often. And if he could help me fix up Gypsy, then I'd make him an honorary member of the Swan family.

I held out the monkey wrench and threw my sleeping bag to the ground. "Need some help?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Do you know _how_ to help?"

"Shut up and pop the hood. I have a feeling that the starter is on the fritz, but we should replace the spark plugs while we're at it and check the fuel line, which I assume you were about to do." Jake gawked at me, his jaw practically touching his chest.

He raised his hands over his head and began mock bowing. "I'm not worth. I'm not worth."

"Yeah, not many people are," I laughed. Jake chuckled and nudged my shoulder in faux indignation.

"Somebody's a little full of herself," he chided. "Oh, and before I forget, there's a box on the porch for you. Did you order any parts for the Chevy?"

I froze. "No."

"Oh, well it's a pretty big package and it's from Holley's Performance Products. I don't think any of their parts would mesh well with Old Gypsy here, though. Are you building a race car in your free time or something?" he joked.

What the hell was going on here? This was the second package in two days! I sprinted to the porch and ripped the top of the long, rectangular box clean off. Jake pattered to a stop behind me and let out a low whistle.

"Might I ask why you would need a NOS tank?"

"No," I answered tersely and jammed the tank back into the box. A crisp, white letter fluttered to the ground, displaced by the sudden jostling of the nitrous tank. Jacob snatched it from the air and handed it to me in one swiping arm motion.

"Thanks," I murmured as I unfolded the letter.

**Find a car, Miss Swan. I expect you to win.**

**~AV**

"Shit. Shit. Shit!" I hissed under my breath.

"Is something wrong?" Jacob's concern was completely genuine.

"Do you, per chance, need a tank of nitrous?" I asked.

He looked bewildered as my question registered, but then a smile flitted across his face. "I have a pet project that I'm working on. Do you what in?"

"What is this? The Skull and Bones Society?" I asked, snidely.

"Do you want in or not?" The amusement in his voice was apparent.

"I'll think about it," I told him as I opened the screen door. "I need a few minutes alone. Think you can handle Gypsy?"

"No problem," Jake answered, hopping down the front steps.

After greeting Charlie, I ran up to my room and shut the door. Aro wasn't going to stop until he'd sent an entire car to my house. And what was I supposed to do? If I refused to race for the Volutri, I risked receive a bullet in my head. If I did race, then I would never be free from their grasped. I'd be obligated to race again and again until I started to lose, in which case I'd received a bullet in my head. This was exactly why I never got involved with the Volutri. So, how the hell did this happen?

My phone vibrated, sending shivers down my legs. I dug it out of my pants pocket and clicked the talk button. "Hello?"

"I have a surprise for you," my heart quickened and my face flushed.

"Oh, really. Does it involve the two of us in the back of your Volvo?" I asked brazenly, my heart skipping a beat. Edward had a way of making me forget my troubles and brought out the shameless vixen in me.

"Close. Let's just say, you'll be very, very turned on. I'm two minutes from your house. Will you be ready?" he asked. I checked my mirror and grimaced.

"Three minutes?"

"As long as you need, love." The line faded and I threw my phone to the ground while hurtling over a pile of dirty clothes. I yanked a brush threw my unruly locks, gave up when it was sufficiently detangled, and pulled a royal blue swoop neck tee-shirt from a hanger in my closet. After applying a thin coat of cherry chapstick to my pale lips, I appraised myself in the mirror.

Not, too shabby. The tee-shirt I had selected was made with ninety-seven percent spandex, which hugged my curves in all the right places. The black skinny jeans and knee high boots that I had packed the night before worked well with the ensemble, saving me preparation time. I glanced at the alarm clock on my bedside table. Only two minutes had passed. Perfect.

I sprinted to the parlor where my father was reclined, enraptured by the football game transpiring on the television.

"Hey, dad? Do you think it would be alright if I went out with a friend?" I bit my lip in anticipation.

"Sure, kiddo. You're quite the social butterfly. Nothing like your old man. Tell me the _who, what, where, and whens_." This was one of the major downfalls of having a state trooper for a father. He upped the parent nosiness scale tenfold.

"Edward Cullen, not too sure what or where we're going, and in about thirty seconds."

"_Edward _Cullen? A boy?" Charlie's attention was completely on me now.

"Yes, daddy. He's really sweet, please," I did my best 'pouty-Alice' impersonation.

"I need to meet him first," said Charlie, reluctantly. I smiled and nodded.

"I'm going to wait for him outside. He should be here any second." Before Charlie could say anything else, I slipped into the hall and grabbed my leather jacket from the coat stand.

Ten more seconds to go.

"Wow, you clean up nicely, Bella," Jake said as he peered over the hood. I'd completely forgotten about him in all of the excitement. I instantly felt ashamed.

"Oh, Jake! I'm sorry. I promised to go out with a friend. I'm gonna have to bail on you and Gypsy. I'm so sorry!"

"Hey, no problem. I can handle myself. But it was nice meeting you. We'll have to hang out sometime. You could help me with my side project…" he hinted.

"Yeah, definitely. I suppose it couldn't hurt to join the secret society of Black," I joked. "Don't forget your NOS." I leered at the tank that was perched against the porch banister, right next to my sleeping bag. Jake must have moved it for me.

"Hey, thanks for moving my sleeping bag…"

…And Edward Cullen had done the impossible. Just when I thought he could rise no higher than the god he already was, he had breached the barrier to Mount Olympus, shooting Zeus down with a lightning bolt in the process. He was a super god!

"Surprise!" Edward cooed, throwing me the keys to the most beautiful set of wheels I've ever seen.

I was frozen in shock, unable to reach for the keys I probably wouldn't have caught anyway. My mouth struggled to form a coherent sentence, but utterly failed. Edward chuckled and ran over to retrieve the fall keys at my feet. He slid the loop around my ring finger and tangled his hands with mine.

"I'm guessing you like it." I nodded. "Perfect." He pressed his soft lips firmly against mine, warming my entire body with his fervent kiss. Like a fairytale princess brought back to life by her long awaited prince, I reacted passionately to his touch. My tongue forced its way into his mouth and lightly messaged his. He tilted his head to the right, allowing me more room to explore as his tongue twisted with mine.

"Ahem."

I broke away with a soft exclamation of surprise. My cheeks heated with embarrassment. Edward seemed unfazed, however, and refused to untangle his fingers from mine.

"Oh, sorry. Umm…Edward, Jake. Jake, Edward," I speedily corrected. Jake extended a tense hand which Edward hastily shook before interlacing his fingers with mine once more.

"Nice to meet you, Jake. I'm sorry to have to steal Bella away from you, but we're expected to be somewhere." He didn't sound sorry at all. "Bella, is your father inside?"

"Yes, he's setting up the torture chambers for the Spanish Inquisition," I answered smartly.

Edward chuckled and gently pulled me towards the house.

"Daddy!" I called. "Edward's here." With more speed that a middle aged man was expected to possess, Charlie darted into the hall and gave Edward the once over.

"Nice to meet you, Sir," Edward, always the gentlemen, said.

Charlie shook his hand and commenced his questions. "Where are you taking my daughter, Edward?"

"My mother's quite the cook. She wants to meet Bella very badly, as does the rest of my family. I thought that she could spend dinner at our house, if that's alright with you," Edward answered.

"It's a little early for dinner," Charlie stated.

"Well, my sister Alice has an obsession with fashion and wanted to put on a runway show before supper. Don't worry, though, I'll protect Bella from the scary little pixie," his ease settled my father's nerves.

"Have her home by eight," Charlie told him.

"Definitely, Sir," Edward said, shaking my father's hand once more.

I kissed Charlie goodbye and whispered a hushed 'thank you' in his ear before practically sprint towards Edward's Aston Martin Vanquish.

"Please don't crash," Edward said as he ducked into the passenger's seat.

I laughed and threw the Vanquish into reverse, waving at Jake as I three point turned out of the gravel driveway.

The speed and power behind this car was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. It took precision handling to a whole new level. The slightest twitch of the staring wheel sent the car gracefully arching around a bend. My foot itched on the gas pedal, steadily applying pressure and shifting as needed. It was almost too easy. Within seconds I was up to one twenty, but the smooth purr of the engine deceived that fact.

"Take a left here," Edward directed, his voice filled with amusement. I must have seemed like a five year old in a candy shop, but I couldn't care less.

I gingerly pulled the wheel to the left, taking care not to overcorrect. The Aston Martin quickly obeyed my command, fishtailing on a patch of dirt before plotting a straight course. I hit the clutch, toyed with the shift, and sent the car whizzing down the winding road, skillfully zigzagging around each bend. By the time Edward told me to pull over, I'd become masterful at manipulating the power staring to fit my needs.

But I had other needs that I required attention, and Edward was more than happy to take control. I swerved off the main highway stretch and pulling onto a deserted dirt road that was partially obscured by ancient cedars.

Before I had a chance to take in the primordial scenery, Edward had hopped the console and was straddling me. Suddenly, our whereabouts was of no concern to me.

Edward grasped my shoulders and forcefully, yet gently, pushed me against the seat as his firm, warm lips crushed against mine. I eagerly joined in, allowing my lips to move with his, tracing his bottom lip with the tip of my tongue. My hands crept up his neck and my fingers curled into his mane of unruly bronze curls. I yanked his head towards me and purred with pleasure when his tongue danced with mine.

His hands slid from my shoulders to my waist, and I gasped when his cool fingertips met my bare stomach and began roaming towards my breast. Edward faltered, quickly wrenching his hand from under my shirt. "I'm sorry, Bella," he whispered, misinterpreting my gleeful exclamation as one of disapproval.

I was quick to correct him. "No! Don't _stop!_" I breathless whispered into his ear before letting my lips linger on his earlobe. I sucked and let my teeth lightly graze his marble skin. He moaned with pleasure, but I silenced him with a forceful kiss.

His fingers deftly returned their journey across my stomach and began messaging my breasts. His thumb traced circles around my erected nipples, making me quiver and arch my back into his grasp. My fingernails dug into his neck as I felt his erection just below my center. I pushed myself into his member with all the force that my petite body could muster and sighed when I felt Edward tremble at our intimate proximity. Wetness saturated my panties as Edward gently rocked back and forth, his arms gripping my hips to his hard on.

I followed the rhythmic thrusting Edward had fallen into, rubbing my core against his boner.

"Edward…" I moaned in ecstasy.

"Bella…" his gyrations slowed and he pushed away from me so that there was a good two inches of space between us.

"Please, don't stop! Edward, please," I pleaded, my chest heaving from our erotic encounter. His breathing was uneven and heavy as well, his eyes were still shining with lust and passion, but there was also a resigned determination in them as well. A glint of resolve that I knew I would begin to loathe.

His fingers rubbed my wrist, tracing the smooth, circular scar that marred my flesh.

"Bella, what happened to you?" His voice was like honey: sweet and soothing. I sigh and allowed Edward to pull me onto his lap. It was time to tell him everything.

* * *

**Friday September 5, 2008**

I revved my engine, glancing down at the dash to make sure that all of the equipment was properly switched on. The Volterra was one of the most prestigious races in all of Arizona. It was named after its point of origin: the parking garage of the Volterra complex building which was owned and operated by Aro, Marcus, and Caius Volturi.

If I won, I'd have all of the respect that I craved and the power to ban James from ever racing on the west coast again. And I _would _win.

My eyes followed Aro's silk handkerchief as it fluttered to the ground. The instant it hit the pavement, I was already shifting into second gear. My supra roared with speed and power as I cut off a black Honda Civic and swerved in front of a Nissan Maxima with blue underglow.

I slipped into third, my foot effortlessly moving to the clutch while still maintaining acceleration.

89…95…103…

BAM! Something hit me from behind. My motor stuttered, but I quickly reacted by downshifting and weaving from side to side. A quick glance in my rearview mirror told me that my attacker was Jane Kaiser, one of Aro's protégées. That was odd. I would have expected the Volturi to stare clear of me rather than smash up my car. This was no way to get me to join their guard. I shifted back into fourth gear and yanked the wheel to the far right. The supra skidded on the concert as I ascended into the dark city, closely hounded by Jane.

She rammed me again, this time jostling my car so badly that I had to pull a complete one eighty, downshift into second and accelerate back to the lead before Jane could gather enough speed to block me out of the lane. The look on her face as I passed her told me that she would have killed me if the mere thought of death could inflict the deed.

Out of nowhere, a sleek blood red Camaro with white racing stripes slipped in between my Supra and Jane's Maxima. Aha! Now that's more like it. Jane's twin brother, Alec, had cut her off, making sure that she could not interfere with my flow. The Volutri sucked, but their guard could be useful at times.

I used this opportunity to press on, shifting into fifth and weaving in between cars.

110…113…115...downshift…sharp left hand turn…cut off a metallic gold Integra…accelerate…111…117…121…

I pulled onto route sixty, dodging civilian traffic and catching a glimpse of James' copper colored Viper with neon green underglow. His driving was a little reckless as he pulled in front of a minivan and dominated the high speed lane. He was never one to keep his emotions in check.

I trailed him until we exited onto 7th Avenue, and seize my opportunity to secure the lead when he took a wide left turn. I slipped my Supra past his Viper, popping the curb in the process, but eventually coming out the victor. A smug grin erupted onto my face.

But James was not easily deterred. He swerved to the right, aggressively trying to pull past me, but I reacted quickly, blocking off his attempt. I could tell by the jolt of his staring wheel that he was getting pissed. I pressed my nitrous boosters, hoping to outrun him and maintain the lead.

140…146…152…158…165

WHAM! James managed to smash into my right quarter, sending me spinning into oncoming traffic. I frantically fondled the clutch and staring wheel, desperately trying to avoid crashing, but James had other plans. Instead of continuing with the race he once again rammed my car, this time aiming for the passenger's side door. The sudden change in the direction of force sent my car tittering back in the opposite direction. One of my tires popped with earsplitting intensity as James once again battered into my car, finally sending the supra hurtling into a construction site. My head smashed forward as I crashed into a sturdy mental support beam. The vibrations, set into motion by the collision, dislodged a metal rod that shattered through the driver's side window and slice into my left wrist, which had been thrown up to shield my face.

"AHHH!" I howled in pain as I struggled to remove the metal spike.

"_We got some illegal racing down at Harper's construction site, all units available..."_ cackled the police scanner. My screams of pain and despair cut off the rest of the order.

Suddenly, my door was wrenched open and cool hands quickly extricated the beam from my arm. I squealed in pain, dizzy with loss of blood and a possible concussion. A strong man pulled me from the car and carried me to an Escalade.

I vaguely remembered Gianna, the girl from the office, pour water down my throat and mop up my hopelessly bloody arm. Then I heard the feeble voice of Aro order a tow truck to pull my car into the adjacent garage while the police were redirected to another route.

"Don't worry girl, it ain't so bad," a deep soothing voice told me. It sounded like Leslie's, one of the girls who I'd become particularly fond of through the course of my racing experience.

"She needs a hospital…"

"We'll bring her home first…."

"Aro, she won't make it, she's losing blood…"

"Demetri, head for Phoenix General…"

Everything went black, until I awoke to my mother's petrified, and completely pissed off, expression.

* * *

**Sunday October 26, 2008**

Edward's grip was borderline suffocating, but I didn't pull away. It was comforting to have someone who cared so much about me.

"What's this James character's address," Edward asked seriously, anger tarnishing his velvety voice.

I placed my finger over his mouth. "Sssh. It's in the past and it brought me to you. As much as I loathe James, I can't resent him."

I silenced Edward's protests with a deep, fierce kiss. One that conveyed all of my appreciation and passion. One that he reciprocated earnestly.

* * *

**A/N: Finally, now you know what happened to Bella. I'll go into more detail about Renee and Phil's reaction at some other point, but the action scene is finally in the open. James should make an appearance fairly soon, but first...Alice's fashion show and Meet the Cullen's time! **

***To answer a question that some of you might have, Bella is no longer a virgin. James can be a pursuasive little bastard sometimes. Sadly, it wouldn't seem probable for such a young girl to abstane when she has a boyfriend who's stronger, three years older, and good at making her feel guilty. **

**REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! I love hearing what you guys have to say and giving hints about what is to come!**

* * *


	9. Chapter Nine

**NOTE: Wicked fluffy and cute chapter! It's purpose is to introduce the family and have lots of fun in the process. It's alittle shorter than my normal chapters, but it's kind of the calm before the storm. So enjoy the cuteness while it last! Thanks so much to my awesome reviewers! EVERYBODY KEEP REVIEWING! **

******Be sure to check out Alice's fashion ensemble on my profile page!

* * *

****Sunday October 26, 2008**

"I don't think this is a very good idea," I told Alice bluntly.

"Oh, come on, Bella. Please." Her eyes grew wide as saucers and glossed over with a thin layer of potential tears. Her lower lip puckered out and quivered as she batted her eyelashes at me.

"That's not fair," I protested.

"How do you think she got the rest of us to feed into her odd obsession, dear?" Esme cooed from the couch. I shook my head in resignation. There was no way out of this one.

Alice, Esme, Rosalie, and I were crowded into Alice's walk in closet. I use the word 'crowded' as a figure of speech. Alice's closet was twice the size of my room and every inch of it was covered with designer clothing and fancy European shoes.

She was already decked out in a strapless silver dress made completely out of rhinestones and sequins that swirled in eclectic patterns throughout the length of the dress. Whenever she moved, rainbows would shoot from her gown and ignite the opposite wall with dots of light. A hot pink sash was pinned around her waist by an oval, diamond encrusted clip, adding a little color to the flashy garment. Her skinny legs were exposed up to her mid thigh and her tiny feet were adorned with strappy pink heels that seemed to afford her no structural support whatsoever. She managed to remain upright, however, without so much as a quivering ankle.

"Excuse me, mother, but my 'odd obsession' is going to make me famous one day. Chanel has nothing on me," she giggled as she theatrically flourished the dress she was holding.

"What do you think, Mommy?" Alice's voice was squeaky with excitement.

"Oh, baby. It's beautiful!" Esme cried as she pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. I smiled at the affectionate exchange, slightly sadden by the fact that Renee and I never really had many of these happy mother/daughter moments.

Esme's gown was gorgeous. Ripples of silk trailed down the back in a long train, but tapered up to the knee in the front. The fabric was a startling crisp white with black abstract flowers printed across the lower half, harkening back to the Japanese Geishas. A jeweled clasp wrapped around her waist and trails of black gems stemmed up towards her collar, which was comprised of onyx and rhinestone jewels that form a swooping curve sitting at the extreme ends of her shoulders.

Esme was a youthful and radiant woman, with long caramel colored curls that fell to her mid-back. She was thin, but not in the extreme like her daughter, and her height was a startling five foot seven, something I didn't expect from the mother of a girl who could pass for five foot zero if she stood on her tippy toes. Possibly her best feature, however, were her warm, gently chestnut colored eyes that conveyed her compassionate disposition. Edward, Alice and Emmett were extremely lucky to be blessed with such a kind and loving mother.

"Esme, you look divine!" I compliment as she twirled at Alice's command. Esme patted my shoulder as a pink tinge saturated her cream colored skin.

"Of course she does," Alice chimed while extracting Rosalie's dress from a plastic garment bag. "Rose, prepare to be dazzled. Taadaa!"

Alice forced Rose into the dress and appraised her work. There was no other way to describe Rose without using the words Greek goddess and statuesque. The dress was strapless, but instead of a linear cut across the chest, it spiked up in two symmetric peaks before swooping to the center in an elegant crease. Orange crystals and rhinestones were strewn sporadically across the bodice, concentrated around the center of the chest. The bright pops of orange offset the mauve gray hue of the dress perfectly. It fell to the floor in ripples of strategically pinned folds that cast shadows in all the right places. To add to the statue-like style, Alice had ironed spindly wrinkles into the fabric, truly mastering the Michelangelo marble sculpture appearance. It was breathtaking.

"You're pretty great, Miss Fashionista," Rose told Alice as she clipped a shale color flower in her hair. What's this? A compliment from the she-devil herself. Wow, Rosalie must really like her dress.

"Told ya you'd love it!" She turned on me. "Now, I've been working on _your_ dresse for the past month. I just knew we'd become such close friends." She smiled and darted to the back of her closet, effortless striding in her five inch heels.

"Everyone take a seat…" She pulled my dress from behind her back and smiled widely. "So, it's amazing isn't it?"

It _was_ quite impressive, if I were a third party observer. But as I was being forced into this frilly cocktail napkin, the runway grandeur of it was lost on me.

It was a strapless number that fell three inches above my knee. Thin wisps of silky, metallic blue fabric forming delicate folds around the torso of the dress, only to be interrupted by a granite colored belt that sat above my hips. The bottom portion of the Alice original was covered in pinwheel ruffles, skillfully shaped to resemble exotic flowers. They varied in size which gave the dress a 'straight from Milan' feel. I was almost about to compliment Alice's masterful creation when I saw the heels she planned to stick me in.

They matched the royal blue tint of the dress perfectly and elegantly tapered to a peep toe tip. Each shoe had a miniature ruffle flower attacked to a clasp just above the peep hole, flawlessly matching their counterparts on the dress. What caught and held my attention, however, was the spiked four inch heel that jutted out like a switch blade.

"Alice! Those shoes could get me arrested for harboring concealed weapons!" I protested as she tossed her handiwork my way. I dodged the dagger-like heels as they clunked into the wall.

"You're going to put them on and like it!" She hissed in a tizzy, a smile coloring her mellifluous voice. "I spent six hours putting those shoes together, little missy, and I expect you to wear them with pride!"

I rolled my eyes. Only Alice would make gowns and high heel shoes in her spare time. "Where the hell did you learn how to make shoes?"

"The internet, now shut up and put them on!" she ordered.

"Best do what she says, sweetheart. She has a bit of a temper," Esme chuckled as she gently grabbed my arm and offered me stability as I slipped on the death trap stilettos.

"Oh, Bella! You look wonderful!" Alice exclaimed, jumping up and down with joy. Esme nodded in agreement and Rosalie scoffed, glaring in the opposite direction.

"Very nice job, Alice. I do love it, even if I'll probably trip and ruin it. I swear I have no sense of balance whatsoever!" I cautioned her.

"Have faith in yourself, Bella!" Alice dismissed my warning without a second thought. "Now, my dears, off to the parlor! Our men are awaiting our arrival!"

Oh, joy. This would be interesting.

* * *

Alice had turned the living room into a full-fledged catwalk. The furniture had been pushed aside to make room for the large, wooden structure that branched out from the kitchen entrance and stretched the full length of the expansive parlor.

Alice ushered us towards the couches while she strutted down the runway, did a cocked hip spin and retraced her steps.

"Okay, ladies. Ready for the eye candy?" Alice squeaked.

Rosalie hooted exuberantly and Esme clapped enthusiastically. I half-heartedly 'woo-hooed,' feeling too self-conscious to make any sexual innuendos concerning Esme's son, which was the course Rose was now taking. Esme just shook her head in amusement at Rose's brazenness.

"First, don the robes ladies. Don't want to give away the sexy, smokin' hot element of surprise!" She ordered, beckoning towards the soft white bathrobes draped across the couch. Once our outfits were sufficiently disguised, Alice scurried into the kitchen to retrieve the first victim.

"Here's a man who needs no introduction," she howled from backstage.

Just as _I'm too Sexy _erupted from the speakers mounted on the walls, Emmett came prancing onto the catwalk, working a hilarious gray sports jacket trimmed with black satin along the lapels and pockets. His bright white cotton shirt and black bowtie were complimented with black pants and square toed dress shoes. The real kicker was the orange-lens sunglasses that he wore as an accessory. I tried to reframe from laughing, but utterly failed as he hip thrust and shimmed out of his jacket. After swinging the sports coat over his head a couple of times and launching it towards Rosalie who was screaming with pleasure, he spun on his heels and strutted away, his butt swaying to the music.

Esme, Rose, and I were in tears by the time Alice appeared on stage wearing her terry cloth bathrobe. She was likewise shaking with laughter, but she composed herself enough to introduce the next model/boyfriend.

"Prepare yourselves for quite possible the hottest man in all of Washington. He's got a free ride to MIT and he's not afraid to play sexy scientist in his free time. You all know who I'm talking about…" She jumped off the stage and ran to the couch, getting ready to drool over her spruced up boyfriend.

Jasper's outfit had a relaxed indie look about it. He wore a black tie with white horizontal stripes and a plain white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Instead of a jacket, he wore a pin striped black vest with a matching pair of slacks. A pair of black Converse high tops completed the outfit with excellent taste. He step onto the stage and started Voguing it, complete with extravagant hand motions worthy of Madonna herself. Alice hooted her approval and threw dollar bills onto the stage which Jasper collected and stuck underneath his brown leather belt. I couldn't help but clap as he moon walked back to the kitchen.

"I love you, babe," Alice called before collecting herself and remounting the catwalk. "If life was composed by Tchaikovsky he wouldn't be such a weirdo. Our very favorite melancholy musician, Ed-ward Cullen…" she said in her best baseball announcer voice.

I perked up in anticipation as Edward stepped onto the catwalk looking like an avenging angel. Alice had him dressed in a sexy, tight fitting, all-black suit. He brushed his shoulders off with a smirk on his face and swaggered down the runway, paused to do the _Zoolander_ Blue steel look (which had me swooning), and continued forward with a really adorable Edward rendition of the gangster lean. At the end of the platform he winked at me, spun around, and smacked his butt before continuing into the kitchen. I was wearing the widest grin imaginable as I took deep breath to keep from hyperventilating. Alice snickered and hugged my shoulder, while Esme smiled happily after her son. Rosalie, as per usual, was glaring in the opposite direction.

Alice flitted back to the stage. "He's Doctor McSteamy _and_ McDreamy. He's better than George Clooney. Ladies and gentleman, Carlisle Cullen, the biggest DILF alive!"

"What's DILF mean?" Esme whispered to me. I snickered and shrugged my shoulders innocently as Carlisle strutted onto the stage. Esme was suddenly uninterested in the meaning of Alice's acronym when she saw her husband wearing a classy dark brown tux with a splash of gold accentuating the spiral line of his chocolate colored tie. His dirty blond hair fell just above the crisp white collar of his button up shirt. Dr. Cullen looked hot! I'd met him earlier today before Alice went fashion nazi on everybody, but when he was dressed in a tuxedo…it was a whole different experience. Even though they weren't blood related, I could see a little of Edward in Carlisle's kind hazel eyes.

Esme cooed in delight as her husband stopped to do the Heizman. He continued strutting down the runway, stroked his chin in the thinker pose, blew her a kiss and exited the stage. This family was amazing!!

When it was our turn to model, I felt sick to my stomach. There was no way I could pull off walking in four inch heels and seem sexy to Edward. It just wasn't possible. After Alice sashayed up and down the catwalk three times, doing her best Sasha Fierce impression, and Rosalie worked the runway like a Victoria's Secret model, I was practically on the verge of a heart attack. Even Esme pulled off the Princess Diana wave perfectly.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped onto the platform and began walking. My signature move was a pathetic peace sign and a Betty Boop kiss aimed towards Edward. It was lame, and I knew it, but Edward jump up from his seat, hopped up on stage and dipped my backwards in a kiss reminiscent of the nineteen-forties. Of course I blushed, but he smile and twirled me down the aisle, providing me with enough support to prevent any broken legs or stiletto inflicted stab wounds.

It was the most fun I'd ever had, including the time that I'd smashed James' Eclipse to smithereens. Dinner was loud and cheerful. Carlisle and Esme recanted embarrassing stories regarding their children. My favorite was the one involving Alice and a Pretty Pretty Princess game board. Apparently, Alice's fairy like charm was innate and she had been just as masterful at wielding her patented pouty face as eleven year old. Let's just say that the end result was a memorable picture of little Eddie and Emmett decked out in plastic jewelry as they fought over the black evil witch ring.

The Cullen family photo album was akin to flipping through an L.L Bean catalog: everything picture perfect. Young Alice, Edward, and Emmett dressed in boating outfits, grinning wildly at the camera as they locked arms. A family camping trip where each Cullen looked as if they had their own personal make-up artist touching them up in the middle of the woods.

Rosalie and Jasper were in quite a few of the pictures themselves. Perhaps the cutest snapshot ever taken was the one of the Cullen/Hale Justice League. Emmett truly resembled a little Clark Kent as he donned the red cape and blue tights. Jasper as Batman was hilarious. His blond tufts snuck out under the mask and a goofy grin ruined the whole intimidating effect that the Dark Knight normally inspires. Alice was waving at the camera, dressed in a Supergirl outfit, red Chuck Taylors adorning her tiny elf feet. Rose was doing a terrifyingly good impression of the Storm, looking three years older than her actual age of thirteen. But Edward, he was positively adorable! His unruly bronze tufts were gelled into two curved peaks as he sported the Wolverine costume. The plastic blades attacked to his hands threatened to plunge into Rosalie's unsuspecting back.

"Edward, what the hell!" Present day Rose exclaimed in indignation as she inspected the photo.

Edward just shrugged. "You stole Alice's Pixie Sticks and refused to give them back."

"Oh, yeah! They were they industrial size ones, too! I remember that! You're so mean, Rose. Where was your Halloween spirit?" Alice piped up from the oversized chair that she and Jasper were sharing.

"What do they do in Phoenix, Bella? Give away free cactuses?" Emmett joked.

"Sometimes. Mostly just razor blades in candy apples though." Emmett high-fived me and continued to flip through the album that was perched on Rose's lap.

I kissed Alice and Esme good bye and hugged Carlisle and Jasper. Emmett felt the need to lift me off the ground and spin me around, knowing full well that I'd get dizzy and fall flat on my face. Thankfully, Edward snatched me up before I hit the floor. Rose nodded my way and I reciprocated. I think she was warming up to me.

"I absolutely love your family, Edward. I've never laugh so much in my entire life," I told him on the drive back to my house.

"They liked you more than you know. My mother was practically beaming whenever I'd touch you." He used that excuse to collect my hand and gently run his index finger over my palm.

"I think Rose might take me off her hit list," I laughed.

"Yeah, I saw a definite head nod with some eye contact and a possible upturned lip. That's a good sign," he played along. "You're welcome over my house whenever you'd like, Bella. No invitation necessary."

"Thanks," I told him sincerely as I snuggled into his arm. It was nice to be part of a family that wasn't completely dysfunctional. Not that Charlie wasn't awesome company or anything, but we never really interacted in the same way that Carlisle and Alice did.

"I mean that, Bella," he told me as he parked in front of my house. "I'll always be here for you. If you need anything just ask."

"Same here," I told him seriously. "I'd throw myself off a cliff for you."

"Don't do that, because I'd just have to fish you out of the ocean," he pulled me in for a kiss, gently working his lips against mine and stroking my hair lovingly.

The porch lights flicked on and Charlie opened the front door. "It's eight o'clock and the police officer is about ready to pull out his shot gun."

"Then let's not upset him." Edward pecked my lips one more time and ran around to open my door. Everything was as it should be.

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**A/N: So, you can't tell me that you don't want to be part of the Cullen family after that extravigant Sunday afternoon! Tell me what you think and REVIEW! Get me to 100!!!**

**I have all of the outfits that both the girls and the guys wore during this chappie so check out my profile!**

**P.S: Please Review ;)**


	10. Chapter Ten

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NOTE: These technical difficulties have been bumming me out! So just for the record I did plan to update way sooner than this! This chapter is meant to allow Bella and Edward to get to know one another and set up upcoming plot. It's a little bit of filler, but most of it's cute and a HUGE event is brought up. So enjoy!

Thanks to my reviewers for getting me to 100! Guess what? It's my birthday 2/26 so give me the awesome present of tons of reviews!

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**Monday October 27, 2008**

Gypsy proved harder and more expensive to fix than we previously assumed and Jacob had been unsuccessful with his valiant mechanical attempt. This meant that I was out a ride to school and had the options of taking the loser cruiser or bumming a ride from Charlie. Neither of these choices was particularly appealing.

Just as I was locking the door and beginning my trek to the bus stop, Edward pulled up, the Volvo's headlights cutting through the fog like a sharp knife. I smiled as he pushed open the passenger's side door.

"I figured Gypsy wasn't feeling up to the challenge of driving a whole three miles up the road," he explained.

"You were right. She won't be up for much of anything for quite awhile," I told him as I buckled in.

"Lucky for me." He pulled me into a kiss, running his fingers through my hair while my hands traced his sculpted chest. It was such a casual display of affection, so comfortable and easy.

"Screw it, I think I'll be sabotaging any attempts to fix the Chevy from now on," I joked after we pulled away and Edward turned onto the street.

"I wouldn't mind that plan," His hand searched for mine and he interlaced our fingers once he found it.

"Where are Emmett and Alice?" I asked, noticing that we were missing a few members of the Cullen clan.

"I told Emmett to take his Jeep. I'm pretty sure Rosalie has been forcing him to carpool for the past few weeks and it was getting really annoying. There's only so much Rose one person can take, unless of course you're Emmett. I really have no idea how he puts up with her," Edward explained. "Alice, well she took _her _car."

"And that supposed to mean?" I asked raising an eyebrow, confused at exactly what he was insinuating.

"You'll see. Technically, the Volvo belongs to both Alice and me. It was our father's hand-me-down when we first got our licenses. Carlisle has a bit of a car fetish and we all feed into it more than we should. On our seventeenth birthday, mom and dad bought me the Aston Martin and Alice well, she got that…" he pulled into a parking space next to a canary yellow Porsche 911 Turbo.

"Holy shit! Isn't that a little too much torque for a ninety pound stick figure?" I asked while gawking at the brilliant contraption in front of me.

"You'd think so, but she's actually an insanely good driver," Edward answered as we walked past the throng of ogling boys, drooling over Alice's car.

"So, I take it Carlisle had a pretty good year. Two extremely expensive cars in one month," I commented. Where the hell did the Cullen's get all of this money?

Edward chuckled. "Yeah, he worked as a Chicago surgeon when he was younger. That's where he met Esme. Forks General doesn't really pay _that_ well. Esme's an interior designer and has been commissioned for some pretty prestigious projects. It was rather unnecessary for them to buy us each new cars when we already had the Volvo, but…I _really _like my Aston Martin."

"Yeah, so do I," I laughed.

"Dad prefers we drive the Volvo to school, but Alice…well, she'll be Alice. Isn't it ironic that Bella the speed demon comes to Forks and befriends the family with a five car garage?"

"A little. Then again, I might just be seducing you in order to swipe your car keys right out of your pocket," I joked.

"I could live with that." His perfect, breathtaking smile crossed his lips as he slipped his arm around my neck and pulled me into his chest. I felt his lips on my hair as he kissed the top of my head. I wrapped my arms around his chest and basked in the warmth of his embrace. I noticed quite a few students gawk at us, open mouthed and confused at our intimate exchange. Edward didn't seem to care and neither did I.

Edward walked me to Trigonometry and was just about to kiss me goodbye when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I smiled sheepishly as I extracted it and glanced down at the call id. The message button was flashing as the word 'RESTRICTED' scrolled across the screen. I hit view.

**Get any packages lately. You're gonna die, bitch! **

I snapped my phone shut, my nostrils flaring and heart rate increasing.

"What's the matter?" Edward asked, taking my phone from my hand. He glanced up from the screen after reading the oh-so-friendly text. "Is this James?"

"I don't know. Most likely yes, but it could be one of the Volturi. Jane's not exactly planning on inviting me to a funfetti baking party anytime soon," I said.

"This is ridiculous, Bella. They have no right to hold that crash over your head. Death threats are way out of line. They're committing a felony just by insinuating any type of bodily harm towards you!" Edward was getting worked up and I had to squelch his panic before he jumped on a plane and decide to take down the entire racing underground mob.

"Don't worry about it. It's just a text. They can't really do much from five hundred miles away," I explained, twirling my finger around a lock of Edward's hair at the nape of his neck. He kissed my forehead tensely, obviously not pacified by my reasoning. I forced him to go to class before the bell rang and scurried into the Trig room in deep contemplation.

The gripping Law of Cosines could not hold my attention for the first hour of the school day. Mike chattered on about how completely smashed he was at his party Saturday night and I vaguely remember him asking me how bad my hangover was the next day. I ignored him. I had bigger problems at the moment.

The death threat wasn't at all substantial. The Volturi weren't the type to give warnings and they needed me to win the Seattle Coastal for them, so killing me off wouldn't be such a smart plan. Jane wasn't my best friend by any means, but she'd fall into line at Aro, Marcus, or Caius' orders.

This left James. His rashness made him dangerous, but I knew how to handle myself in regards to his aggression.

As the first period ended I came to the conclusion to ignore any more of these text messages and to consider them as hoaxes. No reason to get worked up over nothing.

"What's going on, Bella." Alice slipped past the crowd of students filing out of the classroom and snaked her arm around mine. "You were completely out of it back there."

"Hmmm…oh, nothing. I just got a weird text, but it's probably nothing," I told her.

"What did it say?" Alice urged.

"Somebody's going to kill her," Edward popped up out of nowhere and protectively draped his arm around my neck so that I wedged between the two Cullen children.

"WHAT?" Alice squeaked.

"It's a long story, but I was thinking about it all period and it doesn't hold any weight so let's not worry about it, okay?" Edward and Alice both reluctantly nodded, obviously not placated, but willing to let it slide for the time being.

After each period, Edward walked me to my next class, never bring up the strange message again. For that I was thankful.

At lunch, he dragged me over to the Cullen/Hale table much to Rosalie's chagrin. She was cordial, however, most likely due to Emmett's orders. They included me in their conversations about musical bands and books, most of which I enjoyed. The small talk allowed me to relax.

I had all but forgotten about the creepy potential killer by Music Theory when we were assigned a long term group project. Our teacher, Mr. Howard, assigned us each a partner based on the instrument we played. He wanted each partner to play the same instrument so as to help the other develop their skills and choose songs that each person could play.

"This is a two month long project in which each group will be designated a day to perform a play list of songs. I'd like the songs to be a reflection of the groups own thoughts and feelings, music that evokes emotion. The groups should put their own twists on the compositions to make them work for their purposes. In addition, each group will compose their own song to be performed at the end of the assigned period. Lyrics are not necessary, but are not discouraged. I've chosen the partners as followed…" As I was a new student, I threw off the balance of partner system and became the third wheel in a group of wannabe Angus Youngs. Edward, as the only pianist and musical genius in the class, was left without a partner which was apparently the norm. But, Edward had other plans.

"Mr. Howard, I think that it would be beneficial to expand our musical talents to multi-instrumental groups. It would add a lot more variety and offer a more emotional performance. Not that I mind being partner-less, but I would like to interact with other musicians. It's a rather important aspect of music, you know…sharing thoughts and feelings with others by way of lyrics and melodies. Do you think that perhaps Bella Swan could be paired up with me? She's very talented and always up for a challenge." Edward charm was irresistible and convincing as hell.

Mr. Howard furrowed his brow and glance my way. "Bella, are you up for a piano/guitar duet. It's up to you?"

"I think I could manage." I tried to be nonchalant, but couldn't help the smile from spreading across my face. Edward was truly a genius. I migrated over to his piano bench. "You're very clever, you know."

"Hey, I'm motivated," he whispered as he placed his fingers on the keys beckoning me to follow his lead. I began strumming in harmony with him.

Gym class was…interesting. As I was changing into my new, decked out uniform courtesy of Alice, I received another text.

**Watch yourself. You won't be racing anytime soon. **

I found it hard to take this message seriously. It sounded like something an older brother would send his kid sister on Halloween. An empty threat meant to inspire fear. Well, it wouldn't work on me. I'd been through worse and wasn't about to be frightened by a loser in a Scream mask. I shoved my phone into my bag and joined the rest of the class in the gym.

Coming in last place at knock out had its perks. Alice and I were told to sit out while the top ranking teams competed for the coveted 'no-change pass.' That was fine by me.

"So, what happened Saturday? I've heard quite a few rumors!" Jessica whispered to Lauren. Suddenly, both Alice and I tensed and leaned forward to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Well, you know I was having a really good time with Eric and Tyler. We were playing a few drinking games and next thing I know, I've had a few too many. Then, you won't believe what happened!!" Lauren squealed. I knew where this was going and it would probably consist of pure fantasy.

"What?! Dish, Lauren!" Jessica was all too eager to play into Lauren's sick attention seeking ways.

"Two words for you…Edward Cullen!" She didn't bother to glance around and see who might be listening.

"No way! Edward Cullen? He's so…gorgeous, splendid, superb! How far did you go?" Jess asked.

"Well, I was just going to the bathroom when I passed him in the hall and he pulled me aside. At first, I was a little taken aback, confused. I told him I wasn't that type of girl, you know, the easy kind especially considering what happened at the bonfire last year. But he is sooo good at seducing, Jess. You have no idea. He just whispered my name and started kissing me. Best kisser in the world! And then, the next thing I knew, we were on the ground…you can use your imagination," Lauren finished with a smile.

Jessica was gawking at her like she was the Queen of Sheba. "You mean…"

"Yup."

"You lucky bitch! Ugh. So does this mean he's available?" Jessica asked. "Like, actually willing to date a girl?"

"Hey. Back off, Jess," Lauren said defensively. "I thought you were obsessed with Mike anyway."

"Yeah, but this is Edward Cullen!" she reasoned. "And Mike is completely childish. He's like stalkerishly in love with Isabella Swan. What the fuck is so special about her anyway? She's like a complete psycho!"

"Oh, I know. She totally barged in on Edward and me Saturday night. It was way creepy!"

I was about ready to jump both of these bitches and teach them a lesson in common courtesy, but Alice stopped me. She casually strolled over to Jess and Lauren and sat down with a smile on her face.

"Hey, Lauren. I'm supposed to relay a message to you. It's from Edward…" The girls began giggling. I wasn't sure if Lauren actually believed her own tall tale or not, but she didn't seem at all concerned that the girl who had caught her assaulting Edward was now confronting her. "He says that you should consider purchasing a dildo because you're pretty much the crustiest skank in this school. Tootles."

With that, Alice strutted back to the empty seat on the side of me. I slipped her a high-five on her bluntness, but wasn't all too satisfied by the bloodless exchange. "Have anything in mind?" Alice asked, reading my thoughts.

"I've got a few options." We spent the remainder of the period discussing how we could mess Lauren up and get away without so much as an after school detention.

"Oops, sorry!" I exclaimed as I shoved Lauren into the bathroom section of the locker room after class ended. "It's slippery right there."

"What the hell, Swan! I have a modeling audition tonight!" Lauren cried.

"Oh, well, in that case maybe you should fix your mascara it's smudged all down cheek," Alice cooed from behind me. Lauren gasped and ran into a stall to check her face in a mirror.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with my face!" She whined.

"Now there is!" I grabbed the stall door and smashed it directly into her nose. Blood poured down her face as she cried out in shock.

"Oh my goodness. Bella, you klutz. Let's wash that blood off before it cakes over." Alice seized Lauren's head and shoved it into the toilet causing the water to turn a bright red hue as little bubbles sputtered up from Lauren's muffled screams. "Much better!" Alice grabbed a handful of paper towels and pushed them against Lauren's bloody, dripping wet face.

"Now, I'd keep this little exchange to yourself. Wouldn't want us to leak the fact that you can't get a guy without resorting to assault," I warned. Lauren nodded her head.

"Oh, no! Coach Clapp! Lauren slipped in the bathroom and hit her nose on the toilet seat," Alice called as she dragged Lauren into the hall, sending me a wink in the process. Now that felt good!

As per usual, Edward was waiting outside of the gym for me. His brow was raised in bewilderment as he watched Alice explained her fabricated version of Lauren's injury. "I take it you had something to do with that," he nodded his head towards the gesticulating Alice and sobbing Lauren.

"Yup. I have to defend my man, don't I? And your sister wanted to help, and you know there's no way to refuse Alice when she has her mind set on something," I explained coolly, snuggling into his chest innocently.

Edward chuckled. "Then I guess I should thank you."

"Yes you should." The wheels began turning mischievously in my head. "And I know just how you can make it up to me."

"I'm sure I'll enjoy whatever you have in mind. Does it have anything to do with the Aston Martin?" He asked.

"Actually, no. But now that you mention it, I wouldn't mind another joy ride." I smiled hopefully up at him before continuing. "My original plan revolved around the fact that Charlie doesn't come home until five fifteen. That gives us a whole three hours alone in my empty house."

"Now, that's my kind of plan," Edward chimed in his velvet smooth voice, throwing in my favorite crooked smile.

I felt my phone vibrate for the third time today, but chose to ignore it rather than ruin the mood. I was fairly certain that Edward hadn't felt the buzzing and didn't want to give him another reason to worry.

I glanced out my window as Edward pulled out of the parking lot. A couple of rows away from us Alice was perched on Jasper's high-tech silver motorcycle both feet dangling off the edge as if she was sitting sidesaddle on a horse. Jasper was straddling her legs; his head tilted down as he lovingly caressed her cheek and planted soft kisses on her lips. Their foreheads met and they smiled warmly into each other's eyes. Jasper and Alice had a certain intimacy that was unmatched by any other couple I'd ever met. It was my aspiration to reach that level with Edward and I smiled when I realized that we were well on our way.

"Well, I guess Coach Clapp believed Alice's little fib," I nodded towards the cute couple.

"Alice could get away with murder if she wanted to and Jasper would help her hide the body without thinking twice," Edward smiled. "Jasper's been my best friend since I was eleven and he's always cared for Alice. He'd pick her flowers at recess and help her reach the top cubbies. Jazz is the only person I'd trust with Alice."

I snickered to myself causing Edward to glance my way. "What?"

"Nothing, I can just see a little version of Jasper flourishing a bouquet of dandelions," I laughed.

"Dandelions? That's simply not up to Alice's standards, even as an eleven year old. She would accept nothing less than lavender or violets and they _had _to be accompanied with baby breaths." As laughable as it sounded I couldn't deny the truth in his statement.

"And only Jasper could put up with those high standards," I reasoned.

"Pretty much, but he really couldn't care less. I see where his motivation comes from, though. I'd probably scale the Alps if you told me your favorite flower was the Edelweiss."

"But it isn't, so don't be booking plane tickets to Austria anytime soon, unless you plan on inviting me along." He met my gaze and shook his head.

"So much for my subtle hidden question. What's your favorite flower, Bella? I want to know everything about you."

"Fairy lilies. My favorite color's black and I like Jane Austen more than is healthy," I summarized.

"Black? That's not even a real color. That's the lack of refracted light and doesn't count," he commented with amusement flooding his voice.

"Excuse me, but I can like black if I want to. The mere fact that I can register the lack of vibrant color in black should be enough to qualify it as an actual color. Besides it's in a Crayola Crayon box so that completely destroys your argument in and of itself." The inexplicable passion harnessed in my rebuttal was rather comical.

"I beg to differ. Just because Crayola decides to name the color violet 'purple mountain majesty' doesn't actually make it a different color," he argued.

"Well, if you knew anything about coloring you'd know that 'purple mountain majesty' has a lighter hue than regular purple and is therefore a completely differ color," I refuted.

"And if I was color blind it wouldn't matter at all," Edward said, chortling under his breath.

"It depends on what type of color blindness you have. Red/Green blindness doesn't affect the color purple whatsoever, so you'd probably appreciate the subtle distinctions that 'purple mountain majesty' has to offer. In any case, you'd always be able to see black, so ha!" Victory was mine.

"I take it you owned the 160 piece Crayola set."

"Yup. I had every color from 'Razzmatazz' to 'Bear Hug Brown.' I laughed at those kids who were satisfied with their 24 packs. I take it you fell into that category. Ha-Ha," I pointed my finger at Edward and mock laughed as he nodded and chuckled at my enthusiasm.

Our discussion of the finer points of color mixing ended fifteen minutes later as we reclined on my old tattered living room sofa. My legs were perched on top of Edwards lap. It took me the majority of that time to extract the exact shade of Edward's favorite color. I swear, industrial sized crayon boxes should be mandatory for all children because the color 'blue' is not an adequate answer. It turned out that Edward was a fan of Prussian blue.

Although I would have like a little more physical action, our afternoon was put to good use as we learned the little quirks of the other. For instance, Edward was completely freaked out by seagulls due to a nasty childhood experience while on vacation in Florida. Apparently, 'his eyes had almost been pecked out of his skull' while he unsuspectingly munched on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It took me a good ten minutes to stop laughing long enough to apologize for my rudeness.

Naturally, the conversation turned towards music.

"How can you _not _like the Beatles?" Edward exclaimed in exasperation.

"Easy. I don't take drugs and I have no idea what they hell they're trying to say in about eighty-five percent of their songs," I explained.

Edward let out an exasperated sigh and extracted his iPod from his pocket. He tossed it towards me. "We're switching for a week. You need to be enlightened."

I grabbed my Nano and tossed it to him before flicking throw his music list. "10,753 songs. Are you serious?"

"There's a musical world outside of the Jonas Brothers, Bella," he chided.

"I don't listen to the Jonas Brothers," I said indignantly. He just laughed and pulled me onto the couch, pressing his forehead to mine. Here's the part I had been looking forward to.

His lips crushed against mine, forcing my mouth open to make room for his tongue. I snaked my arms around his neck and allowed him to lean me down across the couch while he supported his weight by his forearms. My legs automatically hitched over his hips and his hands wandered across my body.

By the time we broke apart at four forty-five, approximately an hour and a half later, we had somehow ended up on the ground wearing substantially fewer pieces of clothing than we had started off with. My shirt was draped over the couch, shed about a half-hour into our make-out session, exposing my lacey black bra. Edward was sitting on my stomach wearing nothing but his boxer shorts, trailing kisses up and down my chest.

"Charlie will be home soon," I sighed. The last thing I wanted was for Edward to leave, but Charlie would shoot him if he found us making out in the living room.

"How much trouble would we be in if I stayed," Edward asked, barely bothering to lift his lips from my breasts.

"Lots," I answered.

"What if we behaved ourselves and just listened to music until he came home? I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone with that crazy texter on the loose," Edward pulled me up from the floor, suddenly serious.

"Edward, my dad will be home in a half-hour and nobody's in the house now. I think I can manage to lock the door."

Edward huffed, but kissed my forehead. "Fine, but if you even so much as see a shadow that seems suspicious I want you to call me." I nodded and grabbed my shirt from the couch as he did the same.

We reluctantly walked to the front hall where I kissed him goodbye and locked the door behind him. I heard him jiggle the doorknob a few times to make sure it was firmly bolted and I rolled my eyes at his overprotective tendencies.

That reminded me of the message I had ignored earlier in the day. I pulled my phone out and noted the restricted number before reading:

**Do you feel lucky, Bella? Do you? **

I instantly felt sorry for not opening this text in front of Edward. How could somebody be intimated by an enemy who quoted _Dirty Harry_?

I thought about forwarding the message to Edward as evidence supporting the fact that I would be completely alright, but my vibrating phone foiled that plan. At first, I thought it was another message, but it continued to vibrate which meant that somebody was actually trying to reach me. ALICE scrolled across the caller ID screen.

"Hey, Alice. What's up?" I asked as I trudged up the stairs.

"Bella? Are you okay?" she sounded frantic.

"Yeah, I'm completely fine," I said in bewilderment. What did she think was wrong with me?

"Is Edward still there?" She hadn't yet lost her hysterical edge.

"No, he just left."

"I have a bad feeling, Bella. Please tell him to come back," she pleaded. These Cullen kids overreacted to the smallest of things.

"Alice, I don't know what you're talking about. Everything's normal here," I tried to convince her as I opened my bedroom door. The temperature difference caught me off guard. It was almost five degrees cooler in my room compared to the hall.

"Please, Bella. It would make me feel so much better."

"Fine," I told her as I flipped on the light switch.

And then I stopped dead in my tracks as my eyes settled on the figure sitting on my bed.

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**A/N: Dundundun....**

**Be a sport and review! It's my B-day!**

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	11. Chapter Eleven

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NOTE: I know it was cruel of me to leave you with a cliff hanger like that, so I've updated sooner than I thought I would be able to. Thanks for all of the review! And keep REVIEWING! It was a great birthday gift!

This is a really important chapter so enjoy!

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**Monday October 27, 2008**

"Swan, I see you've been busy. Already fucking around?" James was casually sprawled across my bed, his eyes burning with malice. My window stood open and I glimpsed a thick limb of an ancient oak tree, clearly visible from my vantage point—the culprit behind James' sudden appearance in my room.

I stared open mouthed at him, unable to believe that he had actually chased me down. I hadn't truly expected his threats to be backed up by actions. After a second, I recuperated. "It's possible to have a relationship with someone and not 'fuck around' as you put it, though you would know nothing about that. Monogamy was never your style, after all."

"I'm glad to see you haven't lost your wit," he said condescendingly before raising soundlessly from the bed.

"I'm sorry the same can't be said about you. I suggest you hire a ghost writer." I waved my phone at him as a reference to his horribly composed text messages, forgetting that Alice was still on the line. Her voice was nearing hyperventilation as her faint echo cried, "I'm calling the police, Bella! Get out of there!"

"Making lots of friends, I see. I'm not too fond of the police, so let's get this over with." James took a step towards me.

"What the hell do you have against me, James? If I recall correctly, you're the one who almost killed _me_!" It was time to stall for as long as I could.

He cocked his head at me, a sly grin playing at the corners of his lips. "The Volturi weren't too happy with the mess we made during the Volterra and somehow _I'm_ the one they're holding accountable. They're trying to ban me from racing in any of their districts which is practically the entire Western Seaboard. But I'm resourceful and have made a deal. If I win the Seattle Coastal, I get a full pardon. And you, Isabella Swan, pose the biggest threat to that little arrangement. The Volturi will be protecting you like the Hope Diamond. That's not really a problem if you're already dead."

"Murder's a pretty serious felony. Did you know my father's a state trooper?" I reasoned.

"It doesn't really make a difference. The Volturi have committed worse crimes and once you're dead they won't care about your 'skill.' As long as they can't be linked to the crime, they won't miss you. And despite what you might think, Bella, I'm rather good at covering my tracks. I've already started. James Trackinger doesn't even exist anymore. I have my ways, sweetheart. They won't find me, no matter who you've told about me. Even the messages I sent you are untraceable unless you're a seasoned computer genius."

"You can't even operate a microwave, how the hell did you manage that?" I asked, all too aware of James' aggressive posture.

"Apparently Laurent isn't as stupid as he comes off as. He's quite the computer geek." James drew closer.

"Thanks for giving me all the details, accomplices and everything. That way when I kick your ass, I'll be able to really fuck you over will life in prison." Taunting was never a good idea in these situations, but it just came naturally.

"Ahh, in that unlikely event, I'd think of your mother's safety. If you mention any of this…she dies," he flipped open his phone and hit a button without moving his eyes from my body. Seconds later my phone buzzed revealing a picture of Renee bounded and gagged. My stomach dropped as I gazed at the photo, keeping James in my periphery. He was truly psychotic. I'd forgotten to factor that variable into the equation. "Yes, I'm truly ingenious."

"I would go with completely fucked up. Do you really want to win a race that badly? I can forfeit, if that'll make you happy." I could live with the repercussions concerning the Volturi, but Renee was completely innocent, only guilt of being a kind and patient mother.

"That won't due. The Volturi have specified in our little contract that _you _have to race, the loop hole being if you no longer have a pulse. Just know that you were a great fuck, but the biggest pain in my ass. I won't mind slitting your throat." With that, he pulled out a switch blade, the ceiling light glinting off the silver ominously.

"What, no gun? That's lame." My hand slid towards the door as I frantically tried to devise an escape plan.

James chuckled. "Still don't know when to shut up, do you, Swan?" He lunged toward me.

Summoning skills that I was unaware I possessed, I pivoted into the hallway, grabbing the door in the process, and slammed it into James' careening body. I heard the clink of the knife stabbing into the door, but didn't stick around to see if he was injured. I sprinted down the hall, not daring to look back.

Massive hands clamped onto my shoulders, a finger catching on the collar of my tee-shirt. The force shoved me to the ground and before I could react a heavy, steel-toed boot crushed into my stomach. I let out a surprised gasp as another blow hit me directly in the ribcage.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the shadow of another kick in progress. I rolled to the left, ignoring the pain lancing through my side. While he was still in mid kick, I pushed off the ground and swiped my leg beneath his precariously balanced foot. He tumbled to the ground, pinning my ankle to the floor. Not exactly my original plan.

With one massive heave, I freed my leg and scramble to my feet, making a run for the staircase. Apparently my karate kid move hadn't hampered James' resolve. His fingers caught in my hair just as I reached the first step.

"You're incredible stupid!" he howled as he vicious spun me around by my scalp and launched me down the staircase with extreme force.

My body tumbled down all twelve stairs, slamming into the wall as I fell head over heels before crumbling in a jumbled mess at the landing. My hand was grasped around a broken piece of the banister that had snapped on my unceremonious fall. Surprisingly, though I could feel bruises already forming, no bones were broken and the sudden adrenaline rush gave me the power and motivation to collect myself and struggle for escape. My fight or flight instincts were cranked up to full power as I hid behind the living room wall, my hands white-knuckling the spindle.

I strained my ears, forcing my breathing to slow so as to keep my whereabouts a secret and give me the upper hand. James' clunky footsteps drew closer, but I waited, using my sense of hearing to time this perfectly. As he peered around the corner, I was already in mid swing. The banister sliced through the air with flawless accuracy, smashing into James' face. I jammed my knee into his stomach and grabbed the back of his head with one hand and rammed it into the wall before slamming the railing across James' back where it splinted into pieces.

He howled in pain and I took this as my cue to run for the door. My best bet was the kitchen entrance which opened out to the backyard. There was a small footpath through the woods which acted as a shortcut to the main road.

As I made my way to the kitchen, everything I could get my hands on crashed to the floor, acting as obstacles and barricades that would slow James' pursuit. Chairs, plates, appliances…anything in my line of sight I left scattered on the floor in my wake. The noisy displacement of overturned objects in the hall alerted me to my attacker, but I slammed the back door closed before he reached the kitchen, giving me a substantial head start.

The premature winter darkness didn't deter me from my plan. I sprinted toward the approximate location of the path as the pitch black night engulfed my house. I hit the woods at cheetah speed, crashing through the brush as bramble ripped through my skin and scraped my face. All of my pain was pushed to the back of my mind as I concentrated on escaping, aided by my heightened endocrine system which allowed me to run faster than I normally could. For once, my feet didn't catch on protruding roots or loose rocks. My only chance was to make it to the main road and hope that there was traffic.

When I hit the pavement, no cars were in sight, so I kept running. Without losing speed, I jetted off towards town, my breathing becoming labored. I couldn't keep this up for very much longer. All I needed was one car. Just one!

I made it about an eighth of a mile before I heard the distant pattering of James' feet. Shit! His injuries hadn't slowed him down as much as I would have liked. He'd made it out of the woods.

I pushed myself harder, forcing my legs to strain as much as they could. The cold October air brutally whipped at my faces, making my eyes water.

But I wasn't fast enough. James' burly body tackled me to the ground, knocking the wind from my lungs. NO! I had to keep fighting. My lungs burned, my body ached, and tears were streaming down my face, a product of the cold air, desperation, and anger, but I didn't give up.

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!" I screamed with as much force as my rasping lungs could muster. Acting on its own accord, my leg shot out, ramming James in the groin. He huffed and hesitated, clearly in pain. I clipped him again, this time voluntarily and more inaccurately, catching him in his thigh. He fell to his knees and I struggled to my feet.

"I hate you so much, _Jay-boy_," I hissed, delivering a fierce uppercut to his jaw.

Headlights loomed on the horizon. My heart filled with hope. I might actually survive this! I slapped James across the face and began waving my arms furiously at the oncoming car.

"Ooo!" Pain seared through my abdomen. The blinding high beams had obscured my vision, cloaking the kitchen knife James had pulled from his back pocket until it was too late. My eyes widened in disbelief as blood poured from the wound.

James stood behind me, his chin resting on my shoulder, his hand still wrapped around the handle. "Sorry, babe. See you in hell."

He pulled away from me, yanking out the blade in the process, and without his restraining arm I crumbled to the ground. The car screeched to a stop and the driver tore out of the cab. James strode forward, mostly likely planning to cover his tracks by killing the innocent person. I called out in warning, but was ignored.

James moved in for the kill, but the man ducked and jabbed James in the side. He swatted the knife from his hand and latched onto James' wrist, snapping it with a deafening crack. James howled in pain, but tried to defend himself with a left hook. He was foiled again as the man dodged the blow, grabbed his shoulders and delivered a painful head but.

All I could think about was my mother. This mystery man was saving her life by intervening. She would be okay, even if I was no longer here to make sure of that fact. This man could stop James from escaping! I smiled at this one blimp of hope.

The sound of fading footsteps alerted me to James flight, however. I shifted my position to see for myself, despite the pain attached to that action. No, he couldn't get away!

The man started to run after him, but halted and changed his course to my fallen, mangled body.

"Bella…" It was Edward! I raised my shaking hands to his face, wanting nothing more than to feel his marble skin beneath my fingers.

"My angel…" I managed to choke out.

"No…Bella…we're going to get you help. You'll be okay! I promise," his beautiful voice was marred with panic and desperation.

"He has my mother, Edward. He'll kill her. Don't tell anybody that it was him!" I had to make sure she was safe. James got away and that fact changed everything. The police could not go looking for him. That would give James the opportunity to dispose of my mother before he went on the run with his false name and his false life.

"He'll pay for what he's done, Bella!" The anger present in Edward's voice was scary.

"No! Edward, my mother…" I couldn't finish my sentence. Reality was slipping away from me. The black night seemed darker.

"Bella!...Stay with me…I love you, Bella. Please…" My angel cried, his voice thick with tears.

His lips pressed against mine as I fell into oblivion.

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**Monday September 8, 2008**

The infuriating beeping of a machine brought me out of my peaceful state, bringing with it a rush of bad memories. I prayed that it was just a nightmare, but every inch of my body ached, refuting that theory.

My eyes fluttered open. A blue curtain was drawn closed on my right, but an ugly faux leather seat situated in the corner of the room was within my line of sight. And so was Renee. Her elbow was perched on the armrest as her hand held her head up. Her eyes caught sight of my stirring body and she immediately shot up with demeanor that warned me of more punishment to come.

"Isabella Marie Swan!! This has gotten out of control! I've turned a blind eye to your little mishaps in the past, pegging them as teenage rebellion. Underage driving with that hoodlum James was unacceptable, but not necessarily hazardous to others as long as you were careful. BUT STREET RACING?! THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING ALL OF THESE YEARS? BELLA, HOW COULD YOU?!" My mother had reached her bursting point. I let her continue without interference. This was long overdue.

"Not only is that illegal, but it puts others at risk! And the lies you've told us to participate is such events! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! You should be in jail! And now I have to lie for you! You're lucky that man Aro has cleaned up all the evidence against you!"

"Aro, did what?" I asked incredulously.

"He pulled you out of your car and told me everything. I'm not a fan of his profession, illegal as it might be, but it's keeping you out of prison. What am I supposed to do with you, Bella? Haven't I always been a good mother? I trusted you and you go behind my back and do something so STUPID!" Renee's tone had reached desperation.

"I don't know, mom. I'm sorry," I couldn't think of anything else to say to her. She was right about everything. I had betrayed my mother, the woman who gave me life and love. We had never been particularly close, but she had always loved me and provided for me.

"I'm sorry too, Bella. I can't have you in my house. Not for right now, anyway. You've disappointed me and I can't trust you anymore," she told me.

"I understand," my eyes fell to ground in shame.

"You'll have to go to Forks. It might be good for you." She began pacing back and forth.

"Live with Charlie? Mom, he's a police officer!" I reminded her. I'd be better off in prison. If Charlie knew about me transgression, all hell would break loose.

She turned to me, tears filling her eyes. "Bella, think of your life! You're smart; witty…you can't just throw it all away with stupid decisions like this! I won't tell him. But you need to change!" Renee's sobs overpowered her, and she left the hospital room without another word.

I was such a fuck up. And it was all James' fault. I'd do everything I could to earn my mother's trust. She was giving me an opportunity that was more than I deserved. I needed to give her something in return. Forks, Washington would be my purgatory. Penance for my sins.

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**A/N: Another cliffhanger, I know! I'm cruel. Keep reviewing please!**

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	12. Chapter Twelve

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NOTE: Sorry about reposting the last few chapters, I messed up the date once and it just escalated. I have to be accurate, you know ^_^

This chapter is necessary background, but I tried to throw in a little humor and characterization as well as foreshadow events so enjoy! And REVIEW!

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**Thursday October 30, 2008**

A soft hand stroked my cheek, bringing me back to consciousness. I felt like shit, inside and out, and all I wanted to do was slip back into slumber. But I recognized the gentle caress and I wanted to see Edward's emerald eyes more than I desired rest. I slowly opened my eyes and smiled up at my angel.

Edward's expression changed from sullen anxiety to sudden glee. His hand slid from my cheek to the back of my head and he pulled me into his chest, his face buried in my hair. "Bella…Oh, Bella…" his murmured, his voice muffled by my mane of curls.

Everything rushed back to me then, ruining the moment. James, Renee, the Seattle Coast…getting stabbed! My hand wandered to my abdomen where I found a bulky gauze wrapped around my waist. My fingertips prodded against the bulge and I winced as a sharp pain lanced through my side. That motherfucker was as good as dead.

Edward glanced down as I surveyed the damage, his lips tight and eyes sad. "Bella, love, I will do anything for you. But why the hell am I covering for your ex-boyfriend, the man that almost took your life. I want him to burn and_ I_ want to be the one who throws gasoline on him! What is going on?" His voice was forceful yet gentle.

I sigh and pushed up to a sitting position, aided by the helping hands of Edward. "He has Renee. I don't know how, but he's using her as blackmail, as a backup in case I didn't die like he planned. Aro wants to ban him from racing and he made a deal with the Volturi…" I reiterated the entire story, eager to hear Edward's take on the issue. Edward's brow furrowed as he listened.

"So he was going to kill you just so he could win a race? Oh, that son of bitch is going down!" Edward hissed, planting small kisses on my forehead. "You were bleeding so badly, Bella. I've never been so scared in my life!" His voice grew distant and serious.

"How did you know I was in trouble?" I asked, snuggling into his protective grasp.

"There was a Viper parked in the turnaround about a mile from your house. It wasn't the same color as you said James' was. It didn't even have Arizona plates, but nobody in Forks owns a Viper, especially one that looks like it's been upgraded. I tried to call you, but your phone was busy and I got nervous. I was on my way to check on you when Alice called me, completely hysterical. She told me in you were in trouble and she had already called the police, so I sped up and found you in the street…too late," he kissed my temple firmly.

"Just in time," I corrected.

"You got stabbed, Bella. That's hardly my idea of 'just in time!' I shouldn't have left you alone, especially when you were getting those texts!"

"Edward, you saved my life," I turned so that my eyes locked with his. "I love you."

His frown loosened and threatened to turn up. Before I could react, his lips were on mine, desperately conveying his love through his passionate action. I linked my wrist behind his neck and allowed his mouth to work with mine, fervently opening and closing mine as he teased me with his tongue.

The door slammed obnoxiously, causing us to break out of our embrace. Both our heads snapped towards the entrance where we found Carlisle standing cross armed, tapping his foot and wearing a furious glare.

"Oh, shit! Here we go again," Edward whispered in my ear before leaning back into the chair he had pushed to the side of my bed.

"Glad to see you're feeling better, Bella. You'll be happy to know that there was no substantial damage done. Your stab wound was deep, but was a clean cut and did not lacerate any arteries. You've been unconscious for the past three days, but that was due to the blood loss which we've also taken care of," Carlisle's professional persona changed drastically in the next second, before I could even register the fact that I had been out cold for almost half a week. "Now, I know you may think that I'm a complete idiot, but I do have a M.D and I know when people are lying to me. But Edward, I never expected it to be you. Emmett…that would be more reasonable, but not you.

"I understand if you're in some type of trouble, Bella. But this is dangerous, for you and for others. You need to tell us exactly what's going on so that we can help. Your father's been going crazy with concern for the past few days and Edward has been completely unhelpful with the investigation. And I happen to know that he has a very good memory." Carlisle had been directing his comments to me, but he managed to shoot Edward an incriminating look. "Care to share?"

Edward glanced my way, his face completely blank, devoid of all implicating cues. I knew he was trying to gage my reaction. He wouldn't tell his father, or anyone else for that matter, anything that I was not willing to reveal. "Carlisle, I don't know what to tell you," I said in defeat.

"Tell me who tried to stab you. This is Forks, Bella. It's extremely unlikely that you were the victim of a random violent crime. Are you in trouble? I can help you if you don't want to go to your father, but I sincerely recommend that you do confide in him," Carlisle told me.

I deliberated for a moment. Charlie wasn't stupid either. He probably knew that something wasn't right, but he wouldn't push it. And I couldn't go to him at the risk of inadvertently hurting my mother. I doubted that Carlisle could help, but it would be worth a shot. Besides, I really needed the help of an authority figure if I was going to stay alive. I didn't want any harm to befall Edward and Carlisle might be able to prevent that. "He was my ex-boyfriend, James Trackinger…" I began from the beginning, recounting my tale for the second time that day.

"The Volturi, you say?" Carlisle commented at the end of my tale, wearing the same quizzical brow as his son. I nodded.

"They're bigger than just Phoenix, Bella."

"You know who they are?" I asked, not expecting this turn of events.

"Yes, they ran dominated Chicago in the seventies and eighties. Aro is quite the real estate mogul and was involved in every type of illegal action that took place in the city. Drug smuggling, money laundering…all of it," Carlisle turned away and ran his fingers through his golden silk hair. "My father worked with the Volturi brothers every once in awhile, there was no escaping them, they controlled the majority of the businesses in the city…We need to contact Aro immediately. He loves to gamble. I've outsmarted him before." He didn't elaborate, but he did turn to face me. "This is most unfortunate." His eyes drifted over to Edward and his jaw locked.

My eyes fell to my hands which were interlaced with Edward's. Did the Volturi control the world? The doctor in Forks, Washington was somehow connected with them, as well. But not affiliated, I corrected. Apparently there was no escaping Aro no matter how far I travelled.

"Don't worry, Bella. We'll fix this. You'll be safe. And I see you're point…Charlie should not be involved. This James character is not part of the guard, but chances are he isn't as smooth as he thinks he is." Carlisle flashed me a sheepish smile. "Your father is in the cafeteria getting coffee, I'll tell him you're awake."

He turned and exited the room, closing the door softly behind him. I glanced at Edward, confused by Carlisle's choppy and vague statements. "What just happened?"

"My dad's a vigilante mafia buster?" he tried.

"Weird."

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"Bella!" Alice's tiny nymph arms wrapped around my neck. Edward betrayed his annoyance at the sudden displacement of his arm, but remained silent as I shot him an apologetic look. "I was so worried. What do you need?"

I frowned at her in confusion. It had only been an hour since I'd woken up and in that span I had no contact with Alice besides Edward's courtesy call that was terse and simply stated that I was awake and well. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know. I just feel like there's something you need from us, well more from Jasper." She bit her lip, hoping her cryptic remark would cue a memory. She huffed, exasperated. "Nothing? There has to be something important!"

"Alice the Fortune Teller strikes again," Edward murmured under his breath. She narrowed her eyes and kicked his chair with all of her might.

"_Alice the Fortune Teller_ is the one who saved your girlfriend's neck! Give my 'gut feelings' a little credit, Jerk!" She was livid and I feared for Edward's life, but Jasper stepped in and, with one light touch to her shoulder, calmed Alice down.

"Alice, thank you for calling me! You really did save my life!" Alice beamed and pecked my cheek. "But did you seriously have some sort of psychic vision or something?" It sounded ridiculous, but how else would she have know?

Jasper snort and she stomped on his foot. "Not quite. I sometimes get these feelings about someone, whether they're in trouble or are going to be happy. They're always right, for the most part. And that's why I know you need Jasper's help. Are you sure you can't think of any reason why?"

I shook my head. "Sorry Jasper, but I think this might be a false call."

"No problem. I'm glad you feel better, though. I must admit, stab wound scars come with some pretty heavy bragging rights. I'm pretty jealous," he joked, trying (and succeeding) to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, I'm pretty souped about my marred body, too," I replied, glancing toward Edward whose finger had stopped drawing circles on my neck.

"What's wrong?" I asked, seeing his contemplative expression.

"I think I know what we need Jasper for."

All eyes were on Edward. "It's up to you though." It was his way of subtly hinting towards my secret racing life. I rolled my eyes. So much for keeping this in the past.

For the _third_ time today, I explained my predicament, this time in a very monotone voice. No one else better come barging in and make me repeat myself again!

"Wow! Really? That's seriously sick, Bella!" Alice piped. "We're gonna have to go for a drive in the Turbo one day. Actually, on second thought…you crashed your car so stay the hell away from my Porsche."

"Alice, concentrate," Edward directed. He released my hand and crossed the room to where the metal armoire closet was located. Once there, he unlatched the door and dug around in my coat pocket before extracting my slightly scratched cell phone. "This is what we need you for, Jazz."

Of course! James' words came flooding back to me: _Even the messages I sent you are untraceable unless you're a seasoned computer genius_. Lucky for us, Jasper happened to be a technology whiz.

"You want me to trace a call? All you have to do is hit *69," he answered, humor lacing his voice, as Edward handed him the phone.

"Ha ha ha. Not quite. We should focus on Renee for the time being. He sent Bella a picture of her, like we told you. Do you think you could trace the original source?" Edward asked as I perked up, holding my breath in anticipation.

Jasper nodded his head, his large hands engulfing my phone. "Cake," he said simply, making me exhale in relief. "I'll need a computer, though. Can I use the one in Carlisle's office?"

"I'll take you," Alice chimed in, seemingly excited to be involved in a Mission Impossible-like operation. Alice bounded out of the hospital door, her tiny fingers locked around Jasper's wrist, tugging him around the corner.

"Everything is going to work out, Bella," Edward told me confidently.

"What if Jasper can't trace it. What if Laurent is as good of a hacker as James said he was?" My doubts were rushing back seconds after Jasper left the room. It wasn't that I didn't believe in his amazing computer skills, but nothing ever went my way.

"Bella, I've never seen Jasper outwitted in a battle of high-tech gadgets. He's been able to hack into every program he's ever tried including Bill Gates' personal computer files—which were extremely uninteresting, by the way," Edward told me.

I ignored his anecdote. "I just don't know what to do, Edward. She's my mother! How the hell am I supposed to help her even if we do know where she is?" I asked, tears beginning to well in my eyes. It was embarrassing, but Edward simply wiped them away with his thumb and kissed each eyelid.

"Don't underestimate us, Bells. We have a self-proclaimed psychic, a MIT computer hacker, and we can't forget my father who probably owns a Batman outfit and runs around Seattle busting up gang violence. And I have a flamethrower."

"Really?"

"No, but I can buy one."

"Really?"

"Bella, please. I'm trying to make a point. I'm going to totally tool on James until you can't even tell what species he's from. So just go with in, okay? I'm sure I could manage to get my hands on a flamethrower if that would turn you on." His hand wandered down the open back of the hospital robe, sending tinges down my spine.

I involuntarily purred at his stroke, tilting my head back so as to gather his lips with mine. Unfortunately, now was neither the time nor the place for a steamy make-out session, despite the fact that my body craved his touch like a drug. For one, we were in a hospital, a hospital where his father worked no less. Two, Jasper and Alice were bound to pop in on us at any moment and I wished to spear them any traumatizing sights, not that they were all too innocent, but still. Thirdly, the painkillers pretty were pretty ineffective and my bruises and various injuries were exploding in pain with every movement I made. And oh, yeah…wasn't Charlie supposed to be by soon?

So, I reluctantly pulled away, convey my regret to Edward. He understood and pulled me into a close, chaste embrace. "Things are much more interesting in Forks, I'll give you that much," he said.

"I tend to have that effect on people and places. Trust me, I leave a trail of carnage in my wake, I'd be careful if I were you." Edward chuckled at my humor, either underestimating my danger magnetization or understanding completely.

The door creaked open and Alice's head popped around the corner, her wide eyes peeking through her fingers. "Okay, good." She disappeared back into the hall. "Guys, they're not making out or anything. It's safe to come in." Hand in hand, Alice and Jasper waltzed to a stop in front of the hospital bed followed by Carlisle, Jasper clutching a few sheets of computer printouts. "So, my super-smart-steamy-hot-mega-geek of a boyfriend just totally dominated this 007 mission you sent us on. Jasper, care to explain?"

Jasper chuckled and cleared his throat. "I uploaded your memory card to Carlisle's computer. From there I accessed the photo James sent you of your mother. It took absolutely no effort past that point." He handed me an enlarged copy of my mother's bound and gagged form. I didn't understand what he was getting at, but he explained. "See, it's a botched job. The photo has obviously been tampered with, and by an amateur at that. The pixels are out of focus over here…" he pointed to the background. "…and don't mesh with your mother's shadow. The lightening is all wrong." He handed me the next picture, this one a super close up. "And if you look at the foreground, you can see a jagged line were the scenery has been superimposed onto the rest of the photo. Not even a challenge!"

"So my mother hasn't been kidnapped?" I asked, swelling with hope.

"I had my suspicions. Your stepfather was never mentioned in James' threat which sounded odd to me. Obviously, he would have called the police if his wife went missing. We did try to get in touch with her, but her phone lines were down…" Carlisle explained.

"…Which is only a matter of intercepting her calls. Pure child's play. Even a caveman could do it," Jasper interjected.

"Of course, prior to today we had no idea that there was any reason to suspect foul play concerning your mother's safety so we didn't bother to look into that problem. After all, within the first few hours of your arrival, you were stabilized and put into a drug induced coma. Charlie wrote to her through email and traditional mail," Carlisle continued. "I told you James wasn't as smooth as he thought he was."

"Good call." I was positively gleaming with happiness at the fact that my mother was safe.

"She needs to be warned for her own safety, Bella," Carlisle heeded.

"Maybe not, she's supposed to go to Florida on November 1St with Phil. I don't know how long they're staying, but she'll be out of James' reach." This seemed to pacify Carlisle for the time being.

"Umm…Carlisle? Where exactly is my father?" I asked remembering his intentions to inform Charlie of my arousal.

In a comical, 'cartoon light-bulb' moment, Carlisle slammed his palm into his forehead and sprinted out the door, presumably having forgotten to tell my dad that his daughter was no longer comatose.

"He got side tracked," Jasper explained, nodding his head to where Carlisle had been standing seconds before. "He was on the phone with Aro…crazy cult leader?"

Edward nodded. "Dad works fast."

"And so do I." Jasper, Alice, and Edward turned to face me, curiosity alight on each of their faces. "I need to pay Jacob Black a visit."

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**A/N: So I hope you enjoyed. Please review. I got really depressed last chapter because I didn't get quite as many reviews as I normally do. I thrive on them!! No lie! It gives me motivation to write long, better chapters and update sooner. So please, i'm begging you REVIEW!! I promise some racing and kickassness on the way! Thanks to those who do review! **


	13. Chapter Thirteen

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NOTE: This is a really important informational chapter. You get to learn about our very favorite DILF so enjoy! Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming!

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Saturday November 8, 2008

"Ugh…God damn it! The cross country team just passed us! And they're the Team B rejects!" Rosalie howled in annoyance.

"If you make one more stupid comment, I swear I will push you out of this truck!" I retorted.

"Well I won't get hurt. We're going twenty miles an hour! Edward, what does that tell us about this bitch's racing skills?"

Edward was currently wedged between me and Rosalie in the cab of my truck. He was wearing an anxious frown and had his hands were over his eyes.

"Rose, there is one bitch in this truck, but it's not Bella," Edward said in my defense, though he didn't bother to look up. Getting involved in our cat fight was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Ha, skank! No shut up! You didn't have to come any way."

"Excuse me, I recall you asking for my help. So maybe you should appreciate my sacrifice a little more. Do you know how badly hanging out with a loser like you will wound my reputation? Everybody thinks you're a ghetto- licious thug!" Rosalie leaned across Edward's lap so that her face was five inches away from my ear. I shoved her face away and she huffed with indignation.

"Don't you dare touch me!" She smacked my arm, causing the staring wheel to jeer to the left.

"Rosalie, stay on your side of the fucking truck! You're gonna get us killed! This is childish, you two. For God Sack…"Edward trailed off, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. Rosalie sulked into the old, dry leather seat with a distinct pout on her full lips. Every once and a while she would shoot vicious glares my way and I would return them with just as much animosity.

"What exactly is you grand plan, genius?" Rosalie asked snidely.

* * *

My recuperation period had lasted five days, which was more than I need. Charlie had completely flipped out and insisted that I stay out of school for at least a week, so on top of the time I missed while in a coma it added up to almost two weeks. Each day Edward came over with my homework and helped me keep up with my lessons. And of course, he was always willing to help me with my "physical therapy." The downside was that Charlie had hired Mrs. Hankey, our sixty year old neighbor, to protect me from possible intruders. As if she could fend off the paperboy, let alone a hulking man.

Carlisle had done an excellent job stitching me up, and as he had pointed out, the knife wound was a clean cut and hardly caused any substantial damage. Just more evidence that James was an incompetent idiot.

Charlie entered my hospital room about ten minutes after Carlisle had left to go fetch him. Edward, Jasper and Alice had said their goodbyes a few minutes earlier.

His thinning hair was disheveled and large purple bags decorated his chocolate colored eyes. I was taken aback by his appearance. There had never been a time when I'd seen Charlie in this state, though I suppose he would have looked like similar to this when my mother had left him.

"Charlie, are you okay?" I asked.

"Me? Am I okay? You're the one who was almost killed! In my precinct too! I should have made sure that my own daughter was safe from the clutches of psychotic, knife-wielding loonies!" Charlie exclaimed, pulling at his hair with tense fingers.

"Hey, this is far from being your fault, Daddy!" I tried to pacify him. It wasn't as if this was a random act, but he couldn't know that.

"Can you describe your attacker to me Bella?" he asked, snapping out of his wretched state and pulling a note pad from his back pocket. It was if he had read my mind.

"Umm…no. I was with Edward earlier that day. I think it might have been a burglar caught in the act of breaking and entering. He might have stowed away while Edward and I were in the living room, but when Edward left I went upstairs. It was really dark and all I remember is getting knocked down the stairs and running outside, trying to escape. But the guy followed me and pulled out a knife that he had grabbed from the kitchen. Edward noticed an odd car on the road, I don't know if he took down the plates, but he came back to check on me and saved my life. That's the last thing I remember." I sucked at lying so I hoped that this fabrication, which wasn't completely false, wouldn't give me away.

Charlie pursed his lips. "That's what Edward said too. He did get the plates, but nothing's turned up so far. Thank goodness that boy came when he did." He walked to the side of my bed and perched on the edge of my mattress, his hand awkwardly resting on my thigh. "I was so worried that I'd lost you."

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Dad," I told him, rubbing his hand with mine. We weren't the best at expressing our emotions so this was a little out of the norm for us.

"I'm gonna make some changes around the house from now on. I don't want you to be home by yourself, okay? And I'm having a new security system installed, one of those fancy ones that alerts the police at the exact moment of break in. It looks like the criminal entered from your bedroom window. That tree needs to come down, it provides easy access to your window…"

"Whoa, Dad. Don't you think you're being a little excessive? You don't have to cut down a tree to keep me safe!" I exclaimed. This was ridiculous, but I couldn't help but appreciates my father's concern.

"Fine, we'll keep the tree. But I'm buying a steel bar screen that you can pull down at night," he compromised as I rolled my eyes.

"So, am I supposed to ask Edward to stay with me after school until you come home?" I asked. I'm sure Edward wouldn't mind, but that was a little too pathetic. I hadn't died, after all. That should be evidence of my ability to stay alive.

"Actually, I asked Jacob Black if he wouldn't mind popping in after the rez school gets out. I've known him forever and I think you two will really get along well," Charlie told me sheepishly, noticing my glare.

"Dad, I don't think it's fair to ask Jake to travel a half an hour away from his house just to baby-sit me! Does he even have his license?"

"Well, no. But the reservation has its own laws and regulations so it's not my concern if he drives underage. He won't be held responsible. Besides, he was more than willing to help. He's visited a few times and even fixed the Chevy so you'd have it when you feel better," Charlie informed me.

"And Edward can't stay with me because…?"

"Well, he's a great young man. Very polite and vigilant. He hasn't left your side since you were admitted. Dr. Cullen forced him to go to school today, but other than that he's been glued to that seat." Charlie nodded towards the vinyl chair that Edward had pulled next to my bed. "But, I'm sure he has a GPA to maintain. He's a very bright boy and I hear he has a lot of opportunities for college. I don't want to be responsible for any of those doors closing if he were to ignore his work to stay with you."

"Oh, that's bull shit, Charlie!" I hissed, not caring about the fact that I had cursed at my father.

Charlie looked taken aback, but lowered his head which meant that I was correct. "Okay, Jacob asked to stay with you. He really likes you, Bella, and he's like family."

I sighed. "Please, dad. Just let Edward or Alice stay with me after school. I'll promise to visit La Push this weekend and visit Jacob to thank him for fixing Gypsy. But all of the things you said about Edward apply to Jacob too. Imagine how far behind he'd get if he spent all of his time watching me. At least Edward, Alice and I can do our homework together. After all, Edward _did_ save my life." This was working out well. My argument was way too substantial to be ignored, I'd have permission to have Edward over anytime I wanted, and I had a reason to go to La Push next week to execute my plan. That gave me plenty of time to work out the kinks.

Charlie nodded. "I suppose you're right. I'm glad you're going to make an effort to spend time with Jake. He's a good kid and I know he's a few years younger, but he still could be a worthwhile friend."

"I know, dad. So, I hear you had trouble reaching mom."

"Yeah, it's the weirdest thing. She's off to Florida by now, but she got my email this morning and is trying to book a flight up to see you. You know her…she's an absolute wreck," Charlie told me. Great, I'd have Renee lurking around for a few days. I'd have to be careful not to mention anything about racing in her presence. She probably already suspects something is awry.

After an hour of awkward small talk, Charlie left to eat dinner in the cafeteria. Once he was out the door, I buzzed the nurse with the intention of asking to talk to Carlisle, but hardly a second after my finger squeezed the button Carlisle swiftly walked in, shut the door behind him, and took a seat beside me.

I leaned forward expectantly. "I contacted Aro concerning James' attack. He was less than thrilled, but it really isn't his concern. I think he's feigning sympathy and outrage. He hardly cares about his racers. It's more of a collection for him. He searches out talent and exploits it. He's adamant about you, however. I couldn't convince him to drop your unreasonable obligation to him. Not that he trusts me very much, but it was worth a shot. It's possible to change his mind, but we'll need a plan," Carlisle explained.

"Just for the record, do you have Aro on speed dial or something?"

Carlisle chuckled, morbidly. "No, but I'm very resourceful. I made a few phone calls to old friends."

"And will I be privy to the deep dark secrets of Carlisle Cullen anytime soon?" I asked hopefully, curiosity bubbling over.

Carlisle looked down deep in concentration, most likely judging whether or not to tell me about his connection to the Volturi. "I come from a rather privileged family, one of the original families of Chicago. My father owned one of the most lucrative banks in the city so he naturally did a lot of business with Aro, Caius, and Marcus. My father wasn't as honest a man as I would like to admit. I loved him dearly, but he would do anything to make a profit or keep his business running smoothly. And appeasing the Volturi meant both.

"I attended Cromwell Academy when I was in high school, one of those obnoxious places where all of the graduates were guaranteed a slot at an Ivy League college just due to the fact that they attended a prestigious prep school. Most of the kids were from families like mine, with parents who would jump if the Volturi ordered them to do so. In fact, the Volturi actually owned the school. Talk about instilling morals into the youth.

"Fast cars were always my weakness. I was obsessed with Mustangs and Camaros. I remember pleading with my father to buy me a Boss 351 Mustang. It was the only thing I ever asked him for, and of course he wouldn't get it for me. With all that money you'd think he would at least help me pay for a damn car. Sorry, I have some daddy issues, I know. Regardless, I did save up enough money to purchase my 'Stang and my good friend Garret convinced me to race it.

"Cromwell Academy was notorious for illegal street racing, though the public was not knowledgeable of this fact. Every boy that attended, however, was well aware of this thrilling extracurricular. It was the Volturi's way of recruiting new talent for their sick obsession with gabbling and cars. They would provide the students with a deserted street on which to drag, which was exactly what my fifteen year old self was looking for.

"It became a ritual. Each week we would race and I'd normally win. Aro soon noticed my skill and invited me to participate in a full fledge race against faster cars and older racers. I hurriedly accepted. After all, I was young and naïve. I believed that these men couldn't be dangerous as they were friends of my father and the patrons of the Academy I attended.

"When I arrived at my first race, I was surprised to find that there was no designated track. We were supposed to race on the road…with civilian traffic. That wasn't what I was planning. It was one thing to race on a deserted stretch of road, but I could not understand why the Volturi would stage a race on the busy streets of Chicago when it was obvious Aro had the power to shut down the roads on the outskirts of the city if he so wished. I was enraged.

"I made my ideas known to Aro. I told him that it was immoral to risk human lives for something so frivolous. He laughed at me and told me to sit this race out and observe. There was nothing I could do to prevent the race, so I did as he said and watched from the balcony extending from the Volturi Tower. The entire race was visible from that vantage point. I was appalled to see how close the racers came to hitting pedestrians or crashing into unsuspecting cars. This was not what racing was for me…"

I diverted my eyes from Carlisle. I was guilty of racing on civilian roads, not that it didn't bother me. I was just too afraid to voice distaste to this pastime lest I should be shunned from other races. My compromise was to slow down to speed limit in high traffic areas. It was pathetic and I knew it.

Carlisle continued. "There was another race scheduled for a month later and I was invited to join. As Aro wouldn't listen to my protest, I decided to take action, but agreed to participate. As the Volturi were, and still are, involved in pretty much any business imaginable, it was quite easy to drag up dirt on them. Mind you, this was before the age of household computers so my dirt was not quite juicy enough to intrigue twenty-first century tabloids, but it was still good enough to serve its purpose.

"Apparently, one of the cosmetic industries owned by the Volturi used animal test subjects. Granted, this wasn't all that uncommon an occurrence, but hippies don't care about the technicalities when given a rallying target. I made a few phone calls and soon the hippies were staging an all day rally in front of Volturi Tower. The mass of people cut off the roads, and the police were unable to break up the peaceful sit-out. They couldn't arrest all of them and the police, though many reported to Aro, didn't expend much effort to dispel the crowd. Compared the Vietnam protest marches that the city had seen a couple of years back, this was nothing.

"So, with the roads obstructed the race was cancelled and moved to another date. For about a month I came up with little schemes to delay a public race, until finally Aro moved the race to an industrial park. Aro always suspected I had something to do with the oddities that always cropped up on the days of his races, but he never mentioned it to me. As I grew older and became more exposed to the mechanics behind the street scene, I understood how illegal and warped the Volturi really were.

" I used college as an excuse to break away from this pastime and attended Dartmouth. I did eventually go back to Chicago with my degree, but by that point I was no longer shy about telling Aro that I wasn't interested. I think he realized that I was smart enough to undo anything he threw at me, short of murder. When Esme and I had Emmett I decided it was time to move to a suburb far enough away from Chicago and the Volturi influence. Forks was our answer. At the time Seattle was still free from Volturi corruption," Carlisle finished.

I sat open mouth, gawking at the incredible man in front of me. Hippie rallies! That was classic.

"I don't think there are enough hippies left in the world to stop the Seattle Coastal," I commented.

Carlisle smiled. "True, but I'm sure we'll come up with a plan."

"Actually, I've already been working on one. I don't know if it will work, but you said that Aro was a sucker for bets. What if I raced on my own with no help from the Volturi racers or Aro's funding. If I built my own car using my own money, he couldn't hold anything else over my head," I explained.

"Hmm…but what would be the bet?" he seemed to approve of my idea so far.

"If I win, then I would no longer be obligated to race for him and the Volturi could keep the prize money. If I lose, then I would agree to race whenever they needed me without complaint."

"That could work. It's a win-win for Aro. The only flaw is that he may not keep his word if you win, for if that's the case then you are quite a talented racer which would only make him want you more," Carlisle said. I sulked in dismay. That made sense. "But, if you were pinned against somebody he was confident would win, then he would be sure to take that bet."

I perked up. "Who?"

"There's nobody Aro trust more than himself."

I frowned. "He's like a hundred and five. There's no way he would win or take that bet, for that matter."

Carlisle let out a robust laugh. "He's not quite as old as he looks and his reflexes are still intact. He's still known to race privately with his arsenal of fancy cars. I can definitely convince him to take this deal. All it will take is a little prodding. Clever idea, Bella. Do you have a car to race yet?"

I shook my head. "No, but I think I know where to find one."

"Good, because we'll have to get start upgrading if we want a winning car by January. You should talk to Rosalie, she's quite the mechanic."

* * *

"Is your brain really as small as it seems, Rose? Because I've told you 'the plan' about ten times already!" I screamed.

"Seriously, Rose. You're being annoying," Edward chimed.

"Shut up you traitor! You've known her for two months and suddenly her word is gold? I've been your friend since you moved to Forks! Show some loyalty." Rosalie jabbed Edward in the shoulder and turned to pout out the dirty window.

"Rose, calm down, okay? Just because you have some grudge against Bella doesn't mean you have to be a snooty wench about it. Emmett told me how excited you were to work on a new car, especially a street racer." So the truth comes out. That little ho.

"I…er...that's it. Emmett's gonna have a pretty boring week. Hope he likes his right hand," Rosalie murmured. I snorted, unable to contain myself. I noticed the corners of Rose's lips turn up, but she tried to hide it. Edward relaxed and put his hand on my knee.

We pulled up to the Black's house a few minutes later. Jacob was sifting through a toolbox next to a rundown shack, but looked up at the sound of my thunderous engine. He smiled and waved.

"Wait here for a second," I told them. Edward nodded and Rose huffed melodramatically.

I gingerly hoped from the cab, careful not to disturb my wounded abdomen, and jogged over to the shed. "Hey, Jake. Great job on the truck! Gypsy's running like new!"

"No problem, Bells. I tried to make it over to visit, but I couldn't find a ride. How are you?" His gaze dropped to my stomach and a worried crease gathered between his brow.

"I'm fine," I said nonchalantly, waving off his anxiety. "But, I wanted to ask you something."

Bewilderment took the place of worry. "What?"

"Are you still working on that pet project of yours?" Jacob's mouth stretched into a wide, toothy grin.

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**A/N: I promise lots of action in coming chapters, but I have to explain what's going on first and build up the plot. So I'm sorrry about boring chappies like this one, but I dod try to mix a little commedic relief in there. Hope you liked it. Please REVIEW and tell me what you thought and how you think the story's progressung so far. I love to hear what you guys have to say!**

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	14. Chapter Fourteen

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**NOTE: So I made good with my promise for lots of action in this chapter. A ton of things going on with Rosalie and Bella. Hope you like it! Thanks to all of you who review! Keep 'em coming!**

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**Saturday November 8, 2008**

Jacob grabbed my hand and pulled me into the shed where a disassembled car was jacked up on cinderblocks, various tools scattered on the dirt floor. "This baby is gonna have some serious torque when I'm done with it," he told me. "So, why are you suddenly interested?"

"I find myself in need of a car that can go faster than thirty. I'm pretty good with speed upgrades…do you think you could let me help fix her up and maybe take her for a few spins when we're done?" I asked. We decided that it would be better if Jacob was kept in the dark about the whole Volturi story and my racing background. There was no need to get him involved.

"Sure, no problem. I could definitely use a hand, it's been slow goings so far, but with a little help maybe we can get her running within the next few months. I'm planning on going down to the junkyard sometime this week. You could come if you'd like," he offered.

"Umm…actually, I get a great discount from this store in Phoenix. The owner is a really good friend of mine. I could buy all the parts we need. Salvaged parts are good for some things, but if we want this baby to fly she'll need top quality machinery," I told him. My bank account was pretty substantial from all of the prize money I'd earn throughout my years of racing and Grandma Swan's inheritance was still partially intact.

"Wow, you're really serious about this, huh?" he asked. I nodded in response. "I wouldn't feel right taking your money to buy parts, though. Maybe we could go halvsies."

"It's not a problem, Jake. Believe me, I'd been planning on buy a new car, but Charlie beat me to the punch with Gypsy so I have a ton of extra cash lying around." I was becoming a skilled liar, something I thought was impossible.

Jake shrugged, obviously still uncomfortable with the thought, but willing to accept my offer in order to better his pet project. "Whatever you say, Bells."

"Oh, do you happen to have that NOS tank by any chance?" I asked.

He nodded and walked over to a messy corner, rummaged through various objects until he extracted the large silver nitrous tank. "We'll need a nitrous system if you want NOS."

"We should look into that," I said while grabbing the tank from his hands and waltzing out of the shed. He followed me, confused. I heaved the heavy cylinder to the edge of a hill that sloped down to a swampy wooden knoll. With one burst of strength I tossed the tank down the ravine where it clattered noisily before slinking to a standstill in the thick mud.

"Umm…Bella? Should I even ask?"

"No, probably not." I turned to smile at him and he chuckled at my seemingly eccentric behavior. "I know I probably should have asked you before hand, but I brought some friends down, as well. They're pretty much fast-car junkies. Especially Rose. She's a mechanical wizard, but don't tell her I said that. I try to be as bitchy to her as possible. Feel free to do the same. She's very resilient to jeering."

Jacob looked a little confused. He turned to the Chevy and waved timidly to Edward and Rose who were now leaning against the bulbous fender of Gypsy. I grabbed Jake's elbow and led him over to the two of them.

"Jake, I think you've already met Edward." Both nodded in acknowledgment, Jacob a bit more sincere than Edward. "Rosalie Hale, this is Jacob Black."

Rose extended her hand as if it were a chore. Jacob shook it, but quickly released his hold.

"So, what are we working with?" Rose asked, a hint of excitement bubbling over her stony disposition.

"A 1995 Mustang GT. It's kind of a mess right now, but totally redeemable," he explained.

"No, no. The shit boxes are always the best to work with. It gives you a clean slate. Any dry rot?" Rose asked.

"Nope, I checked that out before I bought her. I only spent fifty bucks, but there's no point in wasting money that could be used on functional things." Jake and Rose seemed to be hinting it off…surprisingly.

"Good. There's nothing worse than a rotted frame, way more problems than it's worth. Can we see her?"

Jake nodded and lead us back the shed. Rosalie's eyes lit up and she hummed her approval. She wasted no time in plopping to the floor and wriggling under the car bed. Her torso popped up from the hood seconds later. "Absolutely no rot! Nice!"

"Thanks."

"We'll need to do a lot of grinding down here though, especially in the front quarters. Bella, do you have those catalogs with you?" It was freaky how friendly Rose was when she was exposed to her passion of car mechanics. I would have to file that away for future reference. I could raid the impound lot and mysteriously supply her with a junk car whenever she was being an über bitch.

I smiled and pulled out a stack of thick catalogs from my knapsack. She ducked under the car frame and snatched them from my extended hand then walked over to the engine block suspended from the ceiling by sturdy chains. Before I had a chance to blink, she was flipping through the magazine at lightening speed, dog-earring pages and making red pen marks next to parts she wanted to purchase. None of us knew what to think. She looked up, "Well, are you guys gonna help or what? Really, I'm doing all the work here. Bella, take apart the carburetor, I want to see what we're working with."

We passed a good three hours in this manner, appraising the skeleton racer at Rose's discretion. Edward, Jacob, and I were too afraid to cross Rose so we listened to her orders and did as we were told.

After promising to return tomorrow, the three of us left Jacob's house with far less petty drama than our outbound journey.

"Edward, I'm kid napping Bella for the next few hours," Rose said as I pulled up to the Hale's house. She hopped out of the Chevy as Edward and I stared at her in awe.

"I don't think so," Edward said tersely, obviously fearing that I would come home in a body bag.

"Not a request, lover boy. Have Alice drive her over in the Porsche. I promise she'll come back with minimal damage." With that, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and jogged up the porch stairs.

"What the hell?" I said, stunned.

"There's a ninety percent chance that she won't murder you. Throw Alice into the mix, the probability rises to ninety-five. What do you think?"

"Those are pretty good odd." I was intrigued and curious. Rose had never interacted with me in a friendly manner before today and I was interested in what she had planned.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." I gave Edward a reassuring smile and pecked his lips before throwing the truck into reverse and driving across the street to the Cullen's house I followed the long, winding dirt driveway and parked in front of the massive garage. Edward's sexual tension was adorable as he balled his fingers into a fist and stared at me with heated intensity, obviously provoked by my chaste teaser kiss.

"Uh-uh. I have a date with Insane Asylum Barbie. No time for making-out," I told him playfully.

"Oh, please, Bella. We haven't got freaky in the Chevy yet." I giggled at his outburst, knowing full well that he was serious despite his playful tone.

"Sorry, babe. I joined the local convent. Unless, you're God, you ain't getting' none." I managed to keep a straight face until he lounged towards me and buried his head in my chest, the warm breath from his chuckles tickling my skin.

I ran my fingers through his soft curls and lowered my head to kiss his locks, taking a deep whiff of his glorious scent in the process. Edward was gently planting kisses along the curves of my breast, exposed due to the V-neck tee-shirt Alice had forced me into when she had found out that it would be unseasonably warm today. I'd have to thank her.

Furious rapping jolted us out of our bubble and we both looked around for the culprit. A pale fist was furiously knocking on Gypsy's driver's side window, but only the tips of Alice's spiky hair was visible. "Just because I'm too short to see inside this truck doesn't mean I don't know what's going on in there! Rose called and told me to get your ass over to her house right away. Come on Bella!"

I chuckled and passionately crushed my lips onto Edwards for a few fleeting seconds. He tried to pull me closer, but I pushed him away realizing that I would never be able to leave the cab if we continued in this manner. With a sheepish smile I hopped out of the Chevy and was instantaneously dragged over to the garage by Tinkerbell herself.

"If she gets so much as a scrape, I swear somebody is going to die," Edward called. Alice waved his comment away. Before I knew it, she had tossed me into her beautiful Porsche 911 Turbo. All of my complaints ceased in that moment.

* * *

"I love you."

"You better," Alice chimed in reply. An eerie purple glow illuminated the winding road in front of us, the setting sun expelling faint rays through the thick tree line.

Alice's Porsche was almost as nice as the Aston Martin and its compact size allowed for easier maneuvering; similar to the Supra I was so used to driving. I was parked next to the La Push beach, my fingers itching to toy with the shift, but that would have to wait.

Rosalie, in her ever present thirst for supremacy, wanted to prove that she could smoke me in a race. She had mapped out an entire route starting from La Push beach and ending at the gas station fifteen minutes away from their house. The majority of the race would be held on abandoned dirt roads and seldom traveled stretches of old highway. It didn't matter to me, as long as I was allowed to drive the Porsche. Rosalie was parked on the side of me in her red BMW M3; a decent car, but not even remotely close to Alice's. She picked up her cell phone and hit her touch screen once.

Alice's phone chirped to the tune of Kate Perry's _I kissed a Girl_ before she speedily answered. "Yes, I loaded the map into the GPS like thirty minutes ago! Can we please get this show on the road?...Well, it's obvious were gonna win…Yeah, but I'm such a better navigator than Jazz…oh, bitch please, you may be his twin, but I can read his mind…5…ha, I'm so right. You suck at life...Okay, six o'clock exactly." She snapped her phone shut and shook her head at my questioning expression.

"I'm trying to psych Rose and Jazz out. Jasper always chooses the number five when told to pick a number. Always. Rose set up an alarm that's gonna go off in exactly one minute. It's in sync with her car so get ready. I really need some bragging rights."

"Alice, come on. Is there any doubt that we'll lose?" I asked confidently.

Before she could answer, the buzz sounded—shrill and distracting. Without hesitation, I shifted into first and slammed on the gas pedal. Rose managed to get off the starting line a fraction of a second sooner and used that advantage to cut in front of me.

I swerved to the side to afford rear ending her, but managed to retain my momentum without having to downshift.

"Okay, stay behind her until the next turn. The roads get wider. It'll be easier to pass her," Alice recommended. I nodded and matched Rose's pace, my fingers poised to jerk the wheel and accelerate at the first opportunity.

Rose screeched around the turn, not even bothering to decelerate, so I followed her example and barreled around the bend, taking advantage of the Porsche's stellar handling and easily maintaining control.

"Take her on the right. If she forces you off the road, there's a good twenty feet of breakdown lane to save you from wiping out." Alice was unusually calm about the possibility that her Porsche might get completely demolished. I was impressed.

I toyed with the gearshift and moved my left foot to the clutch, sending the Porsche rocketing into fifth. Rose anticipated our move and began swerving back and forth. I tapped the steering wheel to the left causing Rosalie to block off that route, but instead of completing the move, I pulled all the way to the right and accelerated in her moment of confusion. She tried to correct her mistake, but I easily dodged her attack by scooting into the breakdown lane and rocketing past her.

"YES! Perfect. Take the inside lane on this next turn!" Alice cooed jubilantly. I smiled and pulled all the way to the left as I sped around a large boulder. The map directed me to a dirt turnoff on my left a quarter of a mile away, but it was invisible to my untrained eye.

"Alice! Where am I going?"

"There, rotted weeping willow at ten o'clock. Downshift and pull up on the 'E-brake' when you hit the dirt. Rose sucks at drifting, you might be able to get a pretty good lead." My eyes locked on the side road and I skillfully shifted into third and yanked up on the emergency brake while simultaneously jerking the staring wheel to the right. Instead of fishtailing on the low friction dirt, I straightened out within seconds of executing my left-hand turn and punched the Turbo back into fifth gear.

"Whoot-Whoot!" Alice was practically jumping out of her seat. I glanced in the rearview and noticed Rose skidded past the turn, her wheels catching on the slick dirt that littered the pavement. She quickly downshifted and pulled onto the side street, but her slip up had serious repercussions. I was now a good two hundred feet in front of her.

She was a masterful drive, however, and her faulty maneuver only made her desire to win that much more prevalent. Her headlights were gaining on me with each passing second and I turned to my trusty navigator for assistance. "Alice?"

"Jasper's going to tell her to pass you at Taha Aki Ravine. There's a wooden bridge that we'll have to cross, but there's also and over pass that forks onto the main road. He'll be expecting us to take the easier route over the bridge, which we will because there's no way in hell I'm letting you go off-roading with my baby, but I want you to do a rapid deceleration at that rock right there," she extended her thin finger toward a massive gray, moss covered rock situated right in before a dilapidated, yet accessible side road. My eyes followed the path and saw that it did in fact bypass the gully, but Rose would have to gain some serious speed if she wanted to secure the lead.

I grinned at the pixie and followed her advice, downshifting into second and slowing to a crawl. Rose, startled by my unexpected technique, slammed on her brakes and fishtailed as she tried to regain control of the car. Before she careened into the Porsche, however, I was off, already having shifted up to fourth gear. Rose bounced back quickly and was able to steady the Beamer, but our little ploy had caused her to overshoot the overpass and forced her onto the bridge. Our lead was further cemented.

"Damn, Alice. Do you have Jasper's brain programmed onto your TiVo or something?" I asked, amazing at her ability to predict her boyfriend's every move.

She giggled. "Nope. He's just totally whipped and I basically control his every move anyway."

I chuckled and downshift around an insanely sharp corner. "What the fuck?" I asked as I surveyed the landscape in front of me. It was comprised of hills and hair-pin turns, not at all what I was used to driving on. I feared for the Porsche's safety.

"Yeah, this part sucks. Just try to stay in third gear for as long as you can, and switch into fourth for the steeper sections. If we lose it here, we still have an opportunity to take the lead again."

"Lose it? Rose isn't going to be able to pass us on this terrain!" I exclaimed as I flew down an incline and around another turn, the speed seemingly excessive for the rolling landscape. I managed to keep in control of the car, however, and was even able to shift into fourth and speed over another hill.

"This is Rose's forte, don't even worry about her and Jazz. Just focus on the road."

Confused, I downshifted again, not daring to risk pulling a complete 180o turn at sixty miles an hour. I huffed in exasperation as the road continued in this fashion for another mile. Out of nowhere a red blur soared above the Porsche, easily overtaking the valley between two small hills where we were currently situated. I gawked in awe at the speed with which Rose was going, enough to jump a hill, yet her BMW was unscathed.

"Told you," Alice said matter-of-factly. "No worries, just keep up with her. We're almost onto the main road again."

With as much dexterity as I could muster, I sped over hills and valleys, taking sharp turn after sharp turn in an attempt to stay close on Rose's heels. Finally, we zoomed onto the old highway which was free from the extreme inclines that characterized the turnoff road.

I shifted into fourth and then fifth, closing the gap between our two cars.

"Alright, be patient. See that turn ahead?" She pointed to the GPS, tracing the outline with her index finger. It was actually a series of two turns, one arcing to the right and another turning back in the opposite direct immediately. It seemed useless to me, but what did I know about road construction. "Trust me on this one. Spin around and throw it into reverse."

"What?"

"Do it now, Bella!" Without hesitating further, I swerved around and shifted into reverse. "Faster." I pushed the gas pedal into the floor. "Turn left now!" I jerked the car to the left with such intensity, causing us to slingshot around the bend, gliding past the BMW. We were perfectly situated for continuing forward. As quick as humanly possible, I throw the Porsche into third, then fourth gear and rocketed forward, securing the lead. The gas station materialized two hundred feet away, but I easily blocked Rose's attempts to cut me off. With on last burst of speed, I slid into the parking lot and expelled a loud victory cry. I had slain the beast. Fuck yeah!

Alice hopped out of the car and began an African tribal victory dance sticking her tongue out at her boyfriend as he and Rose slinked out of the BMW.

"Skill," Rose said tersely, extending her thin hand towards me. Surprised, I took it and smiled.

"You, too. How do you drive on slopes like that?"

"It's easy. I can show you sometime if you teach me how to drift," she offered.

I shot her a sly grin. "Did we just bond, Rosalie? Because I think we did!"

"Ah, No! You're still the biggest street corner whore I've ever seen. But I could use a handle of Vodka so _vamanos_."

I chuckled and slid into the passenger's seat of the Porsche while Alice filled the tank.

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I was exhausted when I came home two hours later, even though it was barely nine o'clock. As the daughter of a state trooper I was smart enough not to drink all too much alcohol before driving home. It was a good thing too because Charlie was extra observant ever since the unceremonious knife attack.

"Bella, how are you feeling?" he asked before the front door had a chance to close.

I rolled my eyes. "Perfectly fine dad. I swear!"

"Maybe you should go get some sleep. Your body needs the rest. And your mother's flying in tomorrow…" I love how he just slipped that little tidbit in so stealthy.

"Are you serious? Ugh! She's going to overreact and be all overprotective on me!" Of course that was the least of my worries. There was always the chance that she would put two and two together and actually realize that I was racing again.

"Sorry, Kiddo."

"Whatever. I see you tomorrow, daddy." I kissed his balding head. "'Night."

"Good night, Bells."

I climbed into bed and managed to get two or three hours of restless sleep in before a gentle rapping woke me out of my anxious slumber. It was coming from my window. My locked steel-gate clad window. Grabbing my Louisville Slugger from beside my nightstand, I unlatched the bolt and slid the gate up, preparing to swing if it was James.

But it wasn't.

"Please don't hit me. This branch isn't that sturdy," Edward joked as he clambered over the sill.

"Edward, what are you doing here?" I asked, discarding the aluminum bat in favor of wrapping my arms around his toned waist.

"I couldn't sleep. And I was pissed that the first full day that we've spent together in two weeks was monopolized by Jacob Black and Rosalie Hale!"

I sighed into his chest. "You know, this is by far the sexiest thing you've ever done, minus the time you pulled the 'stare and drive' on me the first day we met. Breaking and entering is a total turn on."

"Then remind me to do it more often." His cool hand grasped my chin and pulled my face up to meet his passionate lips. My hands explored his body as his dove deep into my messy mane of hair, all the while maintaining our aggressive, passionate lip lock, our tongues tangling in unison.

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**A/N: Are you excited for some lemons in the next chapter? How do you think Renee will react to all of the new developments in her daughter's life? Review and let me know what you think! I love answering questions and giving hints! Thanks!**

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	15. Chapter Fifteen

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**Note: Be prepared for a crazy amount of lemons!! Thanks to everybody who reviewed! And please keep doing so!**

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Saturday November 8, 2008

Edward spun me around and gently tossed me onto the bed, my head landing on the goose-feather pillow. He wasted no time to join me, aggressively pressing his body against mine—the electricity created was extraordinary. I shivered with pleasure as a tingling sensation course through my veins—a mixture of erotic desire, passion, and some unknown entity that only Edward seemed to be able to awaken in me.

"I wonder…" he said mischievously before tracing the contours of my face with his fingers. His thumb stroked my jaw, the backs of his other fingers glided with feather-light pressure across my cheeks, finally making pilgrimage on my swollen lips. I felt my face rush with blood at his touch, the aftermath of his electric caress still lingering on my flesh. My eyes closed and I smiled in ecstasy, allowing my tongue to sneak out and lick his index finger which was still poised on my lower lip. "I seem to have the ability to make you glow, Bella."

"You seem to have the ability to make me _want_ to do a lot of other things. A lot of other not so innocent things." With that I grabbed his finger between my teeth and gazed up at him through my lashes—my best attempt at a seductive leer.

He involuntarily rolled his eyes and groaned. "Bella, I've been compiling a list since the second I saw you."

"Oh, really? Let me in on the secret." Flirtation was effortless when Edward was straddling me on my bed. The dim lighting provided by the full moon gave me courage, though I would have probably charged forward in pure daylight if that were the case. I wanted Edward, all of him. I loved him and relished in his touch, his smile, his presence. He wickedly quirked an eyebrow at me which only made my heart race even faster.

"Well…" His fingers dropped to my neck, traced my collarbone for a fleeting second before gliding still further to the curves of my breast. His hands hardly touched my skin which added to the eroticism. He was teasing me and the impish smile on his perfect lips confirmed that fact. He lowered his head to my ear, planting soft kisses on my lobe. "It took every ounce of my self-control not to rip your clothes off with my teeth and take you on the baby grand that very first day." Abandoning all virtuous pretenses, his grip tightened on my chest and moved towards the straps of my worn, lace camisole. Suddenly, Edward pushed himself down to my stomach, grabbing the top of my cami in his mouth on the way and wrenching it from my body. It ripped clean down the center and his fingers looped around the straps, yanking my arms free before letting it fall to the ground—a tribute to Edward's sex maniac alter ego.

This was just too much. I gasped and arched my back into Edward's lush lips which were pressed against my navel, sucking and lapping at my skin. My hands curled into Edward's disheveled hair, pulling him up towards my breast. He didn't need much prompting, easily registering my wishes. His tongue rolled across my erected nipples, gently nibbling on my tender flesh.

Desiring skin to skin contact, I tugged at Edward's tee-shirt. He allowed his lips to part from my body and helped my pull off his shirt, but once it joined the tattered remains of my tank-top, he gathered my lips with his. I eagerly parted my lips for him.

"I love you, Bella. So much..." he moaned between kisses. I pushed against his chest to break our lip lock. My hands curled around his neck and my fingers played with a stray lock at the base of his head.

"Edward," I started seriously. He looked bewildered—yet attentive—and I wanted to rectify his confusion. "I love you…more than anything. You're so much more than…everything! You're all I want, forever. But, please...I have a feeling where this is going and we shouldn't."

Edward nodded understandingly, betraying not annoyance at my request. "Bella, I want you to feel comfortable. I can wait for as long as you need."

"I do feel comfortable," that was the problem. I felt like having sex with Edward would be the single most exhilarating experience of my life. And I didn't want it to be tainted by anything—like Charlie walking in on us when we were climaxing. "Believe me, you have no idea how much I want this, but I want this to be special. I wanna scream and moan. I wanna break the bed and rip a few pillows." Edward chuckled into the crook of my neck, his breath tickling me. "And we can't do that if Charlie's in the other room."

"You're right. I'm not really in the mood for getting shot tonight. But, I don't know if I can behave myself." I laughed as quietly as I could and nudged his nose with mine, giving him the okay to check off another one of his sexual fantasies.

He crushed his lips against mine, conveying his passion and love to me, and then brought his mouth to my neck where he clamped down—biting me! I choked back a moan and instead released my sexual tension by pressing my core into Edward's massive hard-on and clawing at his back. He gasped and pulled me closer to him.

I let my hands wander to his jeans and undid the buttons, knowing that Edward must be severely uncomfortable in the constricting denim. I wrapped my bare legs around his waist and used my feet to push his pants to his knees were he took over and shook his legs free.

Edward took advantage of our new position by pressing himself against my lace undies. There was so little between us, but it would have to remain that way. We couldn't go further, at least not now.

His hands explored every inch of my body as he thrust rhythmically causing me to squeeze my legs tighter around his waist. He groaned as I rubbed his member, quickening the pace he had set.

"Edward…" my head fell back involuntarily, my feet curled and I came at the exact same time as him.

Our breath was ragged with exhilaration. "Bella, you're perfect." He rolled off of my body and gathered me in his arms, pulling my thick comforter over our heads in the process. His arms wrapped around my waist and mine rested on his neck. My leg crept up to his hip were it hitched around his back and pulled him still closer. We closed the little remaining space, our lips easily molding together.

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**Sunday November 9, 2008**

"Bells, you up?" Charlie rapped on my bedroom door, startling me out of my sound sleep. My eyes fluttered open where they met Edward's wide green spheres.

I threw the covers off of my head and pushed Edward further underneath them. I thanked God that my comforter was so thick and wouldn't betray the extra person who was currently hiding beneath them. "Um…yeah, Dad."

Charlie's hand rattled the doorknob just as my eyes fell on the mound of clothes on the floor. Shit! We were so getting caught!

"Morning, Bella. Renee's plane lands in about an hour and a half, do you want to come to the airport with me. I'm sure your mom is anxious to see you."

"Er…actually, I'm gonna let you handle that awkward car ride. I don't think I can survive an hour of her interrogations about my well being in such close confines." I hoped that my pathetic excuse would work on Charlie.

"Oh, thanks a lot," he chuckled. "I'll call up Mrs. Hankey to give you company."

"No! I mean…dad, really. You'll only be gone for a few hours. I can manage to stay alive. I could call Edward instead if you want."

Charlie gave me an uncomfortable look. "Bells, you know I don't approve of you being home alone with a boy." I felt Edward's silent chuckles on my stomach. His hands began tracing circles mischievously close to the band of my panties. I whimpered, but covered it up as a cough, and pulled the comforter up to my mouth to shield the grin that was spreading across my face.

"Dad, Edward _did_ save my life, remember we had this conversation about a hundred times already. Besides, Mrs. Hankey smells weird and kind of freaks me out. I feel like she's gonna have a stroke or something." Amazingly, I kept my voice even despite the fact that Edward's fingers were massaging my inner thigh.

Charlie huffed in defeat. "Fine." He walked further into the room and latched the steel gate on my window. "But you have to start being more careful, Bells. This gate is supposed to keep intruders out and it can't do that if you _open _the window and leave the screen up!"

"Oh, sorry dad. I got really warm last night." My heart was beating furiously, but maybe that was because Edward's tongue was lapping at my stomach.

Charlie nodded and caught sight of Edward's dark jeans lying on the floor next to my tattered camisole. "Jeez, Bella! Maybe you should let Alice take you shopping after all. Those pants look way too big for you. And that shirt…it looks like an animal attacked it." He chuckled and walked towards the door. "Call me if you need anything. No boys, even Edward."

"Okay daddy. See you in a few." The door shut and I exhaled a deep breath as the blankets trembled with Edward's chortles. I smacked his head and tossed the covers off the bed. "Thanks for making things easy for me!"

His eyes were sparkling with amusement as he crawled up my body until he was at eye level. "You're just too tempting."

"Yeah, well…you're lucky that Charlie is extremely unobservant!" I giggled. We heard the crunching of gravel outside as Charlie drove away. Edward rolled out of bed and grabbed my hands to drag me out as well. He picked up his black cotton tee and pulled it over my head, letting his hands linger on my breast.

"Sorry about your shirt, by the way." He gave me a sheepish grin.

"Oh, believe me I don't mind." He smiled and pulled on his tight fitting jeans. His abs rippled as he arched his back to stretch out his arms. He caught me looking and his grin widened. "You know, I wouldn't mind if you went around shirtless all of the time."

He raised his eyebrow. "I think that arrangement could be made, if you agreed to do the same." I bit my lip, letting my tongue run over my bottom lip.

He shook his head in amusement. "Don't tempt me. I don't think Charlie will be gone long enough for me to ravish you properly."

"Rain check?" I asked hopefully.

"First available opportunity check," he corrected. I smiled as he winked and sauntered over to the child sized rocking chair in the corner of my room. He grabbed my guitar—or rather his guitar that I had commandeered—and plopped down in the chair, his long six foot frame comically crammed into the seat. Despite this uncomfortable position, he managed to prop the guitar across his knees and began strumming.

"_Well it's all right, riding around in the breeze, Well it's all right, if you live the life you please, Well, it's all right, doing the best you can, Well, it's all right as long as you lend a hand…_" he began, his smooth, mellifluous voice bring new life to the Traveling Wilburys classic. I chuckled as he did his best Bob Dylan impression before switching to a Tom Petty impersonation.

"_Well, it's all right, Even if the say you're wrong, well it's all right, sometimes you gotta be strong, Well, it's all right, As long as you got someone to lay with, Well, it's all right, Everyday is Judgment day…_" I joined in, snapping my fingers to the beat. I smiled to myself; it was so easy to switch from physical displays of affection to fun-loving adoration.

After going through about a dozen classic rock songs, we glanced at the clock and were startled to discover that Charlie and Renee would be home in less than a half hour. I reluctantly forced Edward to leave after he promised to come back in an hour. His car was parked up the road, so with one last goodbye kiss he pulled his knit turtleneck sweater over his head and jogged down the driveway, blowing me a kiss at the end of the drive. I was still wearing his tee-shirt and begrudging went upstairs to get dressed before my parents came home.

* * *

"Bella…Bella!" Renee's worried voice sounded from the hallway. I rolled my eyes. She was already overreacting.

I bounded down the stairs, careful not to trip, but trying to look as energetic as possible to pacify Renee's worries. "Mom, I'm fine. Please, don't worry about me."

Renee threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and sobbing into my hair. "Oh, Bella! I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you!"

"Mom, you were five hundred miles away! I'm not holding a grudge against you because you couldn't teleport across the country!"

"But it was my fault that I forgot to pay the phone bill. You couldn't even call me for emotional support!" she cried. I caught myself before letting it slip that it was James' fault she couldn't receive her telephone calls. "And I left for Florida before I heard the news. I could have been her so much sooner if I was so harebrained!"

"Mom, please stop. My stitches are already out. Dr. Cullen says I'm a fast healer," I informed her.

"Oh, baby!" She kissed the top of my head and pulled me into the living room, needing to sit down on the couch. Charlie went to the kitchen, subtly giving us our privacy. "Please don't be offended, Bella, but does this have anything to do with what happened in Phoenix. I won't be mad at you. Charlie told me you've been doing well in school and giving him absolutely no trouble. I realize you're trying to start over, but sometimes we make mistakes that get in the way of our intentions."

I diverted my eyes, knowing full well that I would never be able to lie to Renee. She always saw right through me. "Mom, I haven't joined another street racing gang. I promise."

She frowned at me. "That's not what I asked. I seriously doubt your truck is capable of drag racing. I want to know if this has anything to do with what happened in Phoenix," she repeated.

"No." Technically it wasn't a lie. James stabbed me because of an entirely different race, the Seattle Coastal.

Renee didn't look convinced by my one word response. "Look Bella, I didn't tell Charlie about the felonies you've committed..." Ouch, she was pulling out the big guns. "…but if you aren't going to be honest with me, I can't promise you that I'll continue keeping this a secret. If your safety is a stake, I need to make sure you're protected."

"Mom, seriously, I don't think that anybody from Phoenix hates me enough to come to Forks, Washington and stab me just for the fun of it."

She exhaled. "I suppose you're right." Wow, since when do people believe my lies? "I just worry about you, baby. I know that we never really had the closest relationship back in Phoenix. But please understand that I was just overwhelmed. I thought that you'd be better off in Forks. I wasn't trying to abandon you. And when I heard what happened, I kept thinking…what if you didn't make it. It would have been all my fault. I just want you to know how much I love you."

Tears welled in my mother's eyes. I pulled her into a hug. "Mom, I never doubted how much you love me. You did the right thing. Please don't blame yourself for anything that happens to me. I just attract trouble for no apparent reason."

"That's what makes me so nervous." Our mother/daughter moment was interrupted by the musical chime of the doorbell. Renee glanced out the window and caught sight of the Volvo. Her eyes darted back to me, narrowing in a mixture or suspicion and confusion. Her initial hypothesis was rekindled—I had the means to continue street racing if that car belonged to a friend. I tried to do damage control.

"Don't worry. I'm not allowed behind the wheel." Which was true. I'd never driven the Volvo. I couldn't understand what Edward's attachment was to that car. He would let me drive the Aston Martin before letting me anywhere close to the S60 R.

Charlie opened the door and Edward's voice sounded in greeting. I was expecting Charlie to grunt in reply and was surprised when he politely said hello. I pulled Renee off the couch, wanting to introduce her to my boyfriend.

Charlie's sudden politeness was explained when Alice bounded through the door and hugged me before turning to my mother. "Hi! I'm Alice Cullen. It's so nice to meet you. You look so much like Bella. I always thought she resembled Charlie, you know with the hair and eyes, but she totally has your bone structure and thin frame."

Renee was stunned, but immediately taken by Alice's personality, just like Charlie was. Edward nodded to Charlie as he followed his sister into the house. "Mom," I said, reclaiming her attention. "This is Edward Cullen, my boyfriend."

Renee's jaw dropped at my statement. She turned towards me and not-so-subtly gave me the thumbs up sign and flashed me a look that clearly said we would be discussing this turn of events later tonight.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Dwyer. Bella has only good things to say about you. I'm so happy to finally meet you," Edward said in his flawless gentlemanly manner.

"Please, call me Renee. Charlie mentioned you—how you saved Bella's life—but he didn't tell me you were dating her! Thank you so much for your help." Her eyes brimmed with sincerity and she clutched his hand, trying to convey her gratitude.

"Bella is a strong woman. I'm just grateful that I got to her in time." He flashed a thankful smile to his sister.

"Renee, I want to hear all of the embarrassing childhood Bella moments!" Alice trilled grabbing my mother's arm and pulling her back into the living room. Renee brightened and laughed as she began telling Alice about the time I dug up the backyard because I was convinced that the government had buried alien corpses there. Alice was the queen of subtlety. She effectively got Renee's mind off of anything that could lead her to discover my future plans to participate in the Seattle Coastal.

Edward kissed my forehead and interlaced his fingers with mine. We followed Charlie into the living room where Alice was giggling at my mother's story.

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**A/N: I LOVE SEX MANIAC EDWARD! Okay, now that I got that off my chest...I know you guys do too! **

**Leave me a review and let me know what you thought of the chappie...what song would Edward play for you?**

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	16. Chapter Sixteen

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NOTE: Sorry I'm getting slow with the updates! But I hope you enjoy! This one is a build up to the next chapter so hang in there and pay attention to the little plot indicators cropping up!

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Monday November 10, 2008

The sun streamed in through the bars of the steel gate that was securely fastened and bolted on my window. I stretched my back and groggily clamber out of bed to get ready for school—for the first time in almost two weeks. As much as I criticized Charlie's overprotective streak and his demand for my recuperation time, staying home from school had been extremely relaxing. No trigonometry, no gym, no Mike Newton! It was fantastic.

Alice had made my morning preparations easier the night before by picking out my outfit and laying it out on the back of the rocking chair. It was actually a fairly modest ensemble—skinny jeans, converse sneakers, a tight-fitting black long-sleeve swoop neck shirt, and a black plaid jacket with a fur hood. Knowing the restraint that it must have taken the little pixie to refrain from forcing me into some hooker costume, I spent extra time combing out the tangles of my hair until my locks fell past my chest in flowing, bouncy curls. I even applied some eyeliner and mascara.

When I pattered into the kitchen, my mother chuckled and shook her head. I eyed her suspiciously while grabbing a freshly baked pumpkin spice muffin from the still steaming plate. "And what exactly are you snickering at?"

"Mascara, Bella? You must really like this boy," she stated in between sips of her coffee.

I blushed and immediately felt like a twelve year old for doing so. "Maybe I just really felt that Forks High was worth putting mascara on for," I joked.

The corners of her lips turned up. She set her mug down. "Whatever you say, Bells. But I can see why you like him so much. I could see the way you looked at him yesterday. And the way he looked at you…I've never seen two people so enraptured by each other. He's quite good looking too…"

"Thanks mom. I'm glad my boyfriend passes your GQ comparison."

We both laughed and she patted my shoulder adoringly. "You've changed, you know. We've never been able to be this open and carefree with each other in the past."

I diverted my eyes, all too aware of the fact that I was a horrible daughter. "I know. I'm sorry. For everything. It wasn't fair to you…all of the sneaking around, lying."

"Sweetheart, I understand that Phoenix wasn't exactly the best places to raise a teenager, especially as a single mom. And when I married Phil, I became too preoccupied to notice that you needed help. But I miss you baby, apparently you're in as much danger here as you were in the city. Now, I won't ask questions concerning that because I expect you to be responsible and let somebody know if you're in trouble…" she shot me a look thick with implication. The guilt washed over me in a torrent. I would make this right…and technically I had asked Dr. Cullen for help. That had to count for something. "What I'm trying to say is that you're welcome back home if you want."

That took me by surprise. "It means a lot to me that you would even offer after the way that I've behaved, but I think I'll stay in the boonies a little while longer." At that precise second the doorbell rang and a smile crept onto my lips. My mother nodded knowingly.

"Well, are you going to leave him standing in the rain?" She playfully shooed me out into the hall, but not before she supplied me with a half dozen muffins neatly packed in a brown paper bag. Apparently all of those Martha Stewart shows had paid off. Renee's cooking skills had improved exponentially.

Before I could even open the door properly Edward had pulled me into a deep kiss, his hands snaking around my torso. Still carrying the muffins, I awkwardly draped my arms over his neck, but forcefully reciprocating his kiss, granting his tongue access into my mouth.

"Ahemm…" Edward and I quickly broke apart glancing frantically to Charlie who was standing behind me, his hand perch on his gun holster. I rolled my eyes at his melodrama.

"Oh, sorry Mr. Swan. That was extremely rude of me. Umm…I was just picking Bella up for school. So, umm…"

"Bye, Dad. I'll see you tonight." I waved and promptly pushed at Edward's back, forcing him out the door and toward his car. "Don't mind Charlie. But I like to see you sweat after that little stunt you pulled yesterday morning."

He chuckled at the memory while pulling my book bag off my arm and opening the passenger's side door for me. He ran around the car and slid behind the wheel, turning to smile at me. "And why was I not allowed to break into your house again last night?"

"Because my mother is a really light sleeper and not as oblivious as Charlie. We would have gotten caught before you even stepped through the window," I explained. "But I really missed you." I placed my hand on his thigh. He groaned as I massaged mischievously close to his bulging hard on.

"You are a wicked little creature!" He purred. "These are the times I wish I didn't have a sister. Alice made me promise to get you to school a good ten minutes before the bell. Some weird fashion emergency or something."

I slumped back into the bucket seat knowing full well that we would both be cowering in fear if we were to cross Alice. Edward pulled my chin in for a kiss. He tugged one of the shiny curls that had tumbled out of my hood.

"Your hair looks beautiful today. So tempting…"

I smiled and licked my bottom lip seductively. "Yes, but dear sister beckons so no funny business."

"Ugh! You're such a tease!" He joked as he pulled onto the road and cruised toward the school. I grinned and leaned my head against the window.

We pulled into the school a few minutes later and, much to my chagrin, the entire student body was there to ogle at the stab wound victim. It was worse than the first day of school! Edward's eyes blazed with annoyance as he took in the whispers and stares. His glare dispelled quite a few overly intrigued students, causing them to scurry a little faster to their destinations. I gratefully looped my arm around his waist and buried my face into his chest. He slung my bag over his free shoulder and pulled me closer to his body as we walked under the canopy, seeking shelter from the rain.

"If these idiots get on your nerves just tell me and I'll take somebody down," he offered in a whisper, his head leaning in toward my ear. I smiled and turned my face up to meet his.

"Or I could use my old city charm on them. I throw a pretty mean punch."

"That you do." He kissed me gently, his smile still evident on his lips.

"Bella, Bella, Bella!!!" Little hands snagged my wrists and pulled me away from Edward. "Sorry, dear brother of mine, but I'm kidnapping your girlfriend. It's an emergency!"

Startled, I looked over my shoulder and met Edward's equally bemused expression. His hand rose in a confused wave and I smiled sheepishly, slightly perturbed that our personal moment had been interrupted.

"What is it, Alice?" I asked partly amused, partly pissed off. She had pulled me into the girls' bathroom and was perched on the sink counter, her back to the giant mirror.

"Okay, so as I wasn't invited to the car building party you threw Saturday…"

"Alice, we took my truck and we were just sorting out details. I told you all of this Thursday, Friday, and twice on Saturday!" Alice had been extremely angry when she was left out of the trip to La Push the other day.

"Whatever. I totally understand," she said, though not convincingly. Her voice was marred by sarcasm. "But anyway, I really want to be a part of this little project. I know I should have asked you before, but I wanted to surprise you."

"Oh, Jeez. Do I even want to know?" I asked skeptically. What was the pixie planning?

She nodded fervently and grabbed my hands in excitement. "Well, I called Jacob Black after Edward and I left your house yesterday and asked him if I could be in charge of the paint job and upholstery. And he said yes!"

"Alice, you do realize that the car is in shambles right now and it won't be ready to paint for at least another month or so?" I asked.

"That gives me plenty of time to perfect my design! Anyway, Rose and Emmett were helping Jake out yesterday because you were busy with Renee, so we have plenty of mechanics. So do you want to see what I've sketched so far?" Her eyes glowed with eagerness. I nodded, stifling a laugh.

She withdrew a sketchpad and flipped open to a perfect rendition of a 1995 Mustang GT. Taped to the top of the picture were paint chips and stray pieces of cloth. An outline of a swan stretched across both sides of the car, embossed in gloss black with blue accents. She had selected a metallic opal for the car body and royal blue and black leather for the upholstery. I was impressed by the speed and efficiency she had in devising a color scheme and design for a car that still wasn't in working order.

"Wow! This is awesome!" I praised. She smirked and looked at me expectantly. "And yes. You can be in charge of the paint job."

Alice squealed and flung her arms around my neck. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! This is going to be so much fun! I have more fabric choices at home so you need to come over after school. I'll only need a half hour at the most and then you can do whatever you want with the brother. Mom and Dad are in Chicago for the next two days. Edward thinks they're in New York, though, so don't tell him. That city still freaks him out, you know…ever since Aunt Elizabeth…well, you know why." She awkwardly finished. I nodded and diverted my eyes at the tragic thought of Elizabeth and Edward Masens' death.

The first bell rang and I headed off to Trigonometry with Alice. She pointedly knocked over Lauren's coffee mug on her way to her seat, successfully forcing Lauren's attention to her saturated homework assignment and cutting her bitch stare short. I snickered and gave Alice an appreciative smile. Unfortunately, everybody within an eight seat radius of me had turned to appraise the damage of James' attack. The stares continued throughout the entire lesson and I gratefully stalked into the crowded halls at the end of the period. Alice waved goodbye and headed off in the opposite direction.

Mike Newton took this as an invitation to strike up conversation. His flirtation had not waned despite the fact that Edward and I were practically inseparable. It was positively annoying.

"So, I heard you got attacked the other night." Wow, that was the worst conversation starter in history.

"Really? Oh, well actually I was abducted by aliens, but the FBI has sworn me to secrecy."

Mike stared at me for a few seconds, trying to decide if I was kidding or not. He was such an idiot! Finally, his face broke into a grin and his wagged his finger in front of my face. "Bella, you're hilarious. Not even a knife to the gut can stop you." I swatted his obnoxious finger away.

"Yeah, well it wasn't really that big of a deal."

"Are you serious? It's a huge deal! Can I see the stab wound?" he asked, his eyes roving over my stomach.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, please Bella! Please! I bet Tyler that you would show me the scar before you showed him. Could I touch it? That would really piss Tyler off!" Mike was oblivious to what an asshole he was, so I would obviously have to enlighten him.

"Mike you're such a douche nozzle! In what alternate fucking universe is it alright to ask to _touch_ somebody's flesh wounds? And to admit to some fucked up betting pool revolving around who will be allowed to grope me first? You seriously need to get the hell away from me before I pepper spray you!" I hissed.

Mike looked taken aback, but smiled as if this was just a joke. "Bella, you're simply a riot today!" He grabbed my waist and tried to pull up my jacket to catch a glimpse of my wounded abdomen.

I was two seconds away from punching Mike in the face, but he was suddenly jerked away from my body and sent flying into the lockers. Edward gripped Mike's collar, the tendons on his hands turning white.

"If you EVER touch Bella again, you will be lying in a ditch!" He howled.

Mike sneered and tried to pull at Edward's restraining hands, but to no avail. His eyes darted around to the crowd of people that had gathered around, anticipating a fight to break the monotony of their tedious high school experience. Suddenly aware of how pathetic he looked, Mike retort, "Let me go, Cullen! You try to act so tough, but what the fuck do you know? Go play your piano, you freakish orphan. Nobody likes you here anyway!"

A vicious snarl rumbled from Edward's throat and Mike clamped his mouth shut, realizing what a horrible mistake he had just made. My nostrils flared and I was about to jump into the fray, angered by Mike's ridiculous accusation, but Emmett rushed over and placed his large hand on my shoulder, halting my attempts.

"Is there a problem, Newton?"

"Besides the fact that he's a fucking toolbox?" I cried from behind Emmett's massive form. Another set of hands latched on to the tops of my arms, gently holding me in place. I glanced up and saw Jasper glowering at Newton. He looked as though he wanted to pulverize Mike's face as well but was sublimating by keeping me out of harm's way for Edward's sake.

"Since when is that anything new?" Rosalie chimed as she parted the crowd to stand next to Emmett.

"Come on Edward, we have a Chemistry test this period. You know that I can pass that shit without you so please don't get suspended over this prick," Emmett jabbed Mike hard in the ribs to prove his point and glanced back at me, asking for my assistance.

Jasper let me go and I took a few deep breaths to calm the anger that was still boiling inside of me. I place a hand on the small of Edward's back and whispered, "He's not worth it, Edward."

His grip slackened until he finally let Newton slump to the floor. He pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head before sneering down at Mike. "You're lucky I love these people. If I didn't, you'd be seriously fucked up right now."

Emmett kicked Newton's bag causing his books to spill out over the floor, Rosalie jabbed her stiletto into one of the more expensive textbooks, tearing a huge hole in the cover, and Jasper sent a binder flying down the hall with one powerful punt.

"Don't listen to him, Edward. He's such an idiot," I soothed. His muscles were still tense with anger, but they relaxed minutely at my touch.

"I know," he replied tersely.

"Do you want to skip class or something?"

"No, it's the first day you've been back in two weeks!" A hint of a smile was present on his luscious lips. "And besides, you're the one who should be pissed! He violated _you_! I'll survive."

"What if I told you that Alice made me promise her that I would come over this afternoon? I hear the parentals are away…"

"Is that an invitation to completely take advantage of you?" he asked. My charm had worked its magic. I smiled and nodded. "Then I would have to say you successful flushed out all thoughts of that douche bag."

"Good, I'll see you at lunch." I kissed him good bye and hoped that he wouldn't dwell on Newton's low blow.

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"Psst…Bella!" I looked around in confusion, clutching the wooden hall pass, ready to use it as a weapon if need be. "Over here!"

I turned and caught sight of Emmett waving frantically from the janitor's closet. I quirked my eyebrow at him and walked over to join him. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the odd red glow that was the only source of light in the closet. But once my vision corrected I noticed that it was quite crowded. Jasper, Rose, and Alice were also crammed against the back wall, wedged between cleaning supplies and mops.

"Is this a retribution plot?" I asked, intrigued by the secret meeting.

"Hell yeah!" whispered Jasper.

I let out a relieved breath. "Okay, good. Because I really want to mess Newton up like whoa!"

"That creep needs to be taught a lesson. I can't believe I missed this scuffle! I always missed the action!" Alice pouted.

"Some psychic you are," Jasper whispered in amusement.

"Hey, shut up! I _am_ psychic. Watch yourself Hale. I have the divine forces on my side!" she barked, he high pitched voice not at all intimidating.

"Focus people!" Emmett said, trying to redirect our attentions. "We need a plan."

"Any ideas?" Rose asked, her normal animosity towards me completely dissolved.

"Hmm…strung up to the flag pole by his tightie whities?" I offered.

"Too old school. It's been done before," Emmett mused.

"Really?" That was shockingly small town.

"How about we kid nap him and dress him in my Halloween costume? I bet he would look adorable as Tinkerbell," Alice suggested.

"That's totally lame!" Rose interjected. "We need instant gratification and I'm pretty positive that you don't have you Tinkerbell outfit on hand."

"Well, actually…"

"No, Alice. Next idea…" Rosalie said.

"I'm guessing a thug beat down with night sticks and metal chains is out of the question?" Jasper asked.

"No, that sounds fine to me," Emmett replied. Rosalie whacked him on the back of the head.

"The point is to not get expelled or arrested."

"But Bella's dad's a state trooper. He'll have our back," Emmett reasoned.

"You're such an idiot!" Rose and Alice hissed at the same time.

I racked my brain, looking for the perfect payback ploy and was suddenly hit with a spark of genius. "Guys, I've got it!"

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"Holy shit!" Mike's caterwaul sounded from the parking lot. Edward craned his neck towards the exclamation, as did most of the students walking next to us. I glanced back at Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rose and smirked as they looked around innocently, grins not quite masked on their faces.

"Oh! My God! Mike what happened to your car?" Jessica shrieked as she ran past us.

Edward's eyes darted to the engine block that was suspended from the flag pole twenty feet away from Mike's disassembled car. Then he turned around and caught sight of the artistic, abstract sculpture constructed from Mike's car doors, dangling from the roof of the cafeteria.

"You guys, should I even ask?"

"Nope, bro, just appreciate the splendor and genius from afar and act innocent," Emmett boomed through chuckles.

"My parents are gonna kill me!! What the hell!" Mike was practically in tears by the time we strutted past him. He glanced up and his eyes widen in understanding, but our returning glares told him to keep his mouth shut if he knew what was good for him.

"Suck it!" I subtly snarled as I flipped him off. Emmett grabbed onto Rosalie's shoulder for support as his fit of laughter climaxed.

"I have a feeling that you're the culprit behind this prank," Edward whispered into my ear as he opened the car door for me.

"Edward, please. I'm much too sweet to pull something as awesome as this off!" I joked.

"Well, next time let me in on the scheme." I bit my lip and nodded, trying to hold back my laughter as Mike tried futilely to dislodge his motor from atop the flag pole. Thank God for Rosalie's handy dandy toolbox that she kept in Emmett's Jeep.

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**A/N: Review if you like. I'm seven away from #200! I'll try and get the next chapter out to you soon!**

**And I didn't forget the muffin's that Renee packed, they're still in Edward's car, lol! **

**I'm a huge pumpkin spice muffin fan, how about you guys?**

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	17. Chapter Seventeen

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**NOTE: Thanks for all of the reviews, guys! This chapter is a plot builder and gave me crazy writer's block. Enjoy!**

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**Monday November 10, 2008**

"Sweet deal! I love you!" Emmett snatched me up in a bone crunching embrace and spun me around before grabbing the bag full of muffins that Renee had packed earlier this morning. I staggered in a state of dizziness and steadied myself by thrusting my hand out toward Edward's shoulder. He wrapped his toned arms around my waist and whispered, "Apparently I'm gonna have to punch out my big brother. He's macking on my woman."

"Oh, my God. That's disgusting," I snickered as Emmett crammed an entire muffin into his mouth while Rose turned her nose up at his table manners.

Edward chuckled. "No matter how hard Esme tried she was never able to tame the beast."

The faint hum of a motorcycle sounded from the driveway and I glanced out the window to find Alice hopping up the porch steps holding her helmet under the crook of her arm, her small fingers interlaced with Jasper's. She flung the door open and pattered over to the kitchen.

"Bella, I need you in my room ASAP," Alice ordered, dropping Jasper's hand and snatching mine up instead. Edward reluctantly released my waist when Alice shot him an intimidating death-stare.

She led me to her room which was now covered in sketches and blueprints of Ford Mustangs. Magazine cutouts wallpapered her room and paint chips litter the floor. Her manikin was pushed into the corner and replaced by an easel draped with the royal blue and black leather material that she had shown me earlier.

"So, I took the liberty to do a little pizzazz-ing on the upholstery. What do you think of the swan?" Alice asked pointing out the embroidery on the fabric.

"It's great Alice, really. I'm not sure why you're even asking my opinion. You know I'll love whatever you choose."

"True. And even if you didn't like my ideas, I wouldn't listen to you anyway," she pointed out before plopping down onto her bed. "I actually needed an excuse to talk to you in private without Edward hovering."

I raised my eyebrow in confusion. "Why the cloak and dagger ploy?"

"Edward doesn't know what I'm about to tell you and I'm pretty sure dad doesn't want him to find out either." I walked over to the bed and sat cross-legged next to Alice, giving her my undivided attention. "Dad went to Chicago to talk to the Volturi. They have a huge business complex there and dad wasn't comfortable with the idea of heading to Phoenix to negotiate. He likes to be in familiar territory. I was eavesdropping…I do that a lot…and the Masen's name came up. I know that Edward never wants to talk about what happen when he was younger. He loved his parents and their death haunts him still. I'm worried that the Volturi were involved with Uncle Edward and that scares me. I have no idea how they could be related, but dad was talking to mom about the orphanage that Aunt Liz practically ran. What if my aunt and uncle weren't as clean cut as they appeared? It would kill Edward!"

"Alice, don't jump to conclusions. There's no evidence that even remotely implicates them to the Chicago mob." That seemed like a huge leap to make given the limited information she had gather through her sneaky efforts.

"For God's sake, Bella! Why else would dad mention them alongside the Volturi?" she asked in a tizzy.

"I don't know, but we don't have all the facts. Did you talk to Carlisle about this?"

"No, he was leaving for the airport with mom when I overheard them. There wasn't time for clarification. I'm just worried, Bella. You've told me all of these awful things about Aro, Marcus and Caius and I don't see how my aunt and uncle could have known them unless they were awful people, too. But the Masen's were like saints, the kind of people that give hope to the world. I need that to be true! And so does, Edward!" Alice cried.

I rubbed her back, trying to calm her heightened nerves and dispel the worries that were now encroaching into _my_ psyche. My mind raced with thoughts of Edward—he had to be protected from this new found revelation, whether it was true or not.

"We should really talk to Carlisle before we get all worked up over this. Don't worry, Alice. The Masen's were good people and nothing will ever change that fact. How could they have raised a son like Edward if they were criminals?" I asked in attempt to pacify her.

Alice chuckled half-heartedly and nodded.

A quiet knock startled us out of our rumination and we both turned towards the door where Jasper's head had materialized.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Emmett found the key to Carlisle's liquor cabinet. Feeling thirsty?" His voice betrayed a subtle indication of concern as his eyes took in the scene in front of him. Alice's obviously distressed form perked at the edge of the bed, her eyes vitrified with the threat of tears, was not what Jasper had expected to find.

Alice quickly composed herself, however, her face glowing with false cheer—a complete one eighty from moments before. "Emmett_ found_ the key? More like he stole it from daddy when he was a freshman and made multiple copies."

"That seems more realistic," Jasper agreed, allowing Alice's sudden mood swing to slide for the time being. "So, what can I get you ladies?"

"Umm…we're pretty much done here. Bella is absolutely in love with the fabric I selected. We'll come down with you. I'm sure Edward is pulling his hair out by now. A whole half hour without his Bella," Alice cooed in faux horror. She bounced off the bed, squeezing my shoulder as she bounded forward. Alice's backwards glance conveyed her appreciation for the confidence we had just shared.

"Well, you're right about Edward. We forced him to go buy us some limes at the 7/11 because he refused to stop pacing. He only agreed because he figured you two would be at it for hours," Jasper told us. "Sorry, Bella."

"Oh, that's okay. Umm…you guys go ahead and play Coyote Ugly. I think I'll just wait up in Edward's room until he gets back." I was secretly relieved by this turn of events. I needed a few minutes alone to digest the torrent of assertions that had been thrust upon me during my conversation with Alice.

"Are you sure?" Alice asked, her arm unconsciously weaving around Jasper's waist.

"Yeah. Do you mind telling Edward where I am when he comes home?"

"No problem," Alice piped as she and Jasper sauntered out of view.

I unfolded my legs and followed the hallway to the second flight of stairs that led up to Edward's bedroom. I had only been in here once and that was during the height of a particularly passionate fling which meant I hadn't been able to properly appreciate or explore Edward's personal sanctuary to my liking.

His room was perfectly Edward. I smiled to myself as his scent wafted throughout the spacious room. A king size bed was situated in the middle of the far wall, cover by a plush golden comforter. The whole back wall was composed of a large, plated glass window which captured the gorgeous landscape like a picture frame. An electric guitar was nestled next to an amp in the corner of the room and to the left were three boxes stacked precariously on top of each other.

Curious, I unlatched each container and chuckled to myself. Apparently Edward's musical talents hadn't been exaggerated. I added violin, saxophone, and trumpet to my mental list of his musical abilities.

The opposite wall was covered with row upon row of CDs and DVDs. It was such a comprehensive collection that it momentarily shocked me. A large, plasma screen television hung in the center of the disc-filled bookshelves and a CD player sat on a table above a brilliantly carved wooden box.

Knowing full well what an insufferable snoop I was, but burning with a desire to know as much about Edward as possible, I ran my hand over the intricate carvings and gently pulled the cover off of the box. I cautiously peered inside, praying that I hadn't just found Edward's porn stash.

Photo albums and home videos were not what I was expecting to find in this chest. My personal albums were stowed away in the attic back in Phoenix most likely covered underneath mounds of dust and debris. Edward's memories were precious enough to warrant prime storage space.

The videos were turn of the millennium old school, the type that are recorded on miniature cassettes and needed a VHS adaptor to play, which meant that they were most likely from Edward's earlier years. He had never divulged many childhood memories to me, but I'd always assumed that it was a sore spot and didn't want to put him in an awkward position. These tapes tempted me in a way that went against etiquette.

I snagged the VHS adaptor and noticed that there was already a cassette inside labeled April 2002. Edward would have been ten years old—the age he was when his parents died. Without thinking about Edward's privacy I popped the tape into the VCR and powered up the TV. I needed to get a feel for Elizabeth and Edward Masen's personalities. After my talk with Alice I still couldn't believe that the Masen's were crooked people and I hoped that this video would ease my worries so that I could comfort Alice without being hypocritical.

The blank blue screen cut to an unsteady recording of a city skyline, taken from the instead of a car. Oldies music was softly playing in the background as the camera shifted and blurred with every bump and jostle of the vehicle.

_"How long until we get there?" _asked an unseen child. The camera redirected towards the front seats, awaiting an answer.

_"Not long, baby. Ten minutes or so," _a woman with flowing caramel colored hair said, turning to face the child and subsequently the camera. She looked remarkably like Esme and excreted the same kind, motherly aura. _"Edward, is the camera on?"_

_"Yup."_

Elizabeth Masen playfully covered her face, feigning embarrassment._ "But I'm a mess! I'll break the lens!"_

A low laugh erupted from the driver's seat, strikingly similar to Edward's mellifluous chuckle that I was so in love with. _"My dear, have you looked in a mirror lately. You could put Guenevere to shame!"_

_"If I looked in a mirror I would break it and that would be seven years bad luck," _Elizabeth joked, continuing with her original argument.

_"No you wouldn't, Mom. You look beautiful. That's why all the boys at _Addam's _are always following you around," _Edward's voice chimed from behind the camera.

The masculine chortle intensified and Edward Sr. came into the frame. My heart lurked in astonishment. He looked exactly like his grown son. The same odd bronze curls, pale alabaster skin and defined cheek bones. His eyes momentarily flickered to the camera before darting back to the road. They were a familiar shade of deep jade.

_"Well, _I _married you because of your keen wit and kind heart." _After his ingratiating statement he winked at his son. Little Edward snickered, understanding his father's attempts to earn brownie points.

The camera darted back to his mother who rolled her eyes._ "Very smooth, darling." _She snatched up his free hand and kissed his knuckled. _"Eddy, can you please turn off the camera, though. You want to have enough film left for later, don't you?"_

Her voice was sweet and didn't hold any of the patronizing, commanding tones that most parents possessed._ "Yeah, I promised Kate I'd let her use it…" _the camera turned about and clicked off.

Seconds later, a new scene appeared on screen. It was the inside of a recreation room of some sort. Construction paper and arts and crafts were taped to the wall. The camera was much more in focus as it smoothly circled the room before targeting in on a skinny little boy with tufts of copper hair. He stood in the midst of a crowd of children cradling a saxophone in his arms like a baby.

The camera crept closer to the crowd of ten year olds._ "So are you going to treat me to a concert?" _Elizabeth asked.

Edward turned to face his mother._ "We practiced while you were talking to the other grownups. We're bomb!" _

_"Bomb? Are you going to explode?" _she joked.

Edward rolled his eyes in exasperation._ "No, we're just amazing! Welcome to the twenty-first century, mom."_

_"Well, excuse me, sweetheart," _she chuckled._ "Oh, here comes the audience now! Are you guys ready?" _There was a collective explosion of squeaky voice; all of the kids excited to show off their musical talents._ "I'll let you guys get set up then. Good luck!"_

As Elizabeth turned, a group of twelve or so adults came into the line of sight. Edward Sr. was had pulled out his chucky cell phone and was rocking his hand back and forth as if he were at a concert. An older woman clapped her hands and tried to look interested, but was rather unsuccessful. The rest of the group didn't even attempt to seem excited at the prospects of a live performance, especially the middle-aged man standing off to the side, hardly captured within the camera frame. He was wearing an expensive looking suit and was tapping his toe in annoyance.

_"Ladies and Gentlemen, please give it up for the musical styling of _Forbidden Fruit_!" _Elizabeth howled in what was supposed to be a baseball announcer voice. Edward Sr. erupted into hysterical cheers, jumping up and down wildly and whistling in between applause. More children shoved their way the past the grownups until they were right in front of the make-shift stage and followed Mr. Masen's example of loud cheers. The rest of the adult party clapped pathetically, except for the sour-liking man on the end._ "Marcus, don't be a party pooper!" Elizabeth admonished._

_The stern man sarcastically unfolded his arms and clapped twice……._

"Holy Shit!" I cried as I put the pieces together. Marcus…Marcus Volturi! I'd know that douche bag attitude anywhere. He had shaved off his bushy beard in recent years which was why I hadn't recognized him right away.

The Volutri were not in the philanthropy business and were selfish people who were only concerned with themselves. So why would they be at an orphanage?

"What are you doing?" I yelped and turned to meet Edward who had just walked into the room. His eyes darted from me to the television which was now blaring a rather impressive rendition of "I'm a Genie in a Bottle."

"Oh, Edward…I'm so sorry from prying. I really shouldn't have…" I awkwardly trailed off, my face heating from shame.

"That's private, you know?" He told me, his voice minutely harsher than normal.

"I know. I shouldn't have intruded. I'm sorry, Edward." I redirected my gaze from the floor to his eyes. His features softened.

"We were pretty awesome, weren't we? Christina Aguilera had nothing on us." He nodded towards the television, a feeble smile cropping up on to his lips.

"I especially like the saxophonist. Pop music is so much better with jazz instruments," I tried to lighten the mood.

He closed the distance between us and looped his arm around my neck. "This is my favorite home video. It was taken the day before they died and whenever I watch it I remember my mom completely tooling on that idiot over there," he pointed to Marcus. "They were planning out the ceremony for the following day, where donors would present the checks to the Addam's Orphanage. That idiot wanted to _buy_ the building. I have no idea why. Mom and dad completely ripped him a new one about an hour after our little concert."

"Your parents seem like amazing people," my voice shook as I sifted through the information I had gathered. "Who is that jerk. He didn't even clap for you guys."

"I have no idea. That was the first time I saw him. He apologized to them the next day…at the benefit ceremony."

"Oh."

The Masen's had been arguing with Marcus the day before they were killed and obviously weren't chummy with him. It seemed that the Masen's were not involved with the Volturi like Alice and I had thought. But this information didn't ease my nerves.

Because I was about ninety-five percent certain that Edward and Elizabeth Masen were murder the Volturi.

"Babe, I need some Jack Daniels."

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**A/N: As you can probably tell, the Volturi will be coming to Forks really soon. This was an extremely difficult chapter to write, I couldn't figure out how to link the Volturi with Edward and this is what I came up with. **

**Review if you can! **

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	18. Chapter Eighteen

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NOTE: Sorry for the delay, I went through a bout of writers block/work overload. Hope you like this chapter.

(Bella just wants to say she's Jasper Hale's #1 Fan!)

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight!**_

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**Thursday November 13, 2008**

"Bella, is something bothering you?"

"Hmmm?" I was snapped out of my morbid contemplation by Edward's velvet smooth voice. The concern etched on his face was overwhelming and I kicked myself for my transparency.

"You've been acting really strange the past few days, like your mind is somewhere else. Is there something wrong?" he asked again, placing a firm but gently hand on my back. I melted into his touch and curled my arms around his torso. We slumped back against the brick wall of the cafeteria building. Today was one of the few sunny, half-decent days that Forks rarely saw and Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie and I had taken advantage of the fleeting weather by lunching outside. Alice, on the other hand, had taken this opportunity to skip school and head over to the Seattle shopping center.

"I'm sorry I'm being such a grouch," I replied evasively. Ever since my revelation concerning the death of Edward's parents, I had been unsure of how to proceed. I didn't want to drudge up bad memories in relation to equally bad present-day situation. That would just hurt Edward and make the Seattle Coastal issue even more complicated. But I also didn't want to keep such a huge secret from him. After all, he did deserve to know that the person behind the murder of his mother and father was still on the loose and as lethal as ever.

Alice, who I had initially thought would be my confidante in this matter, was blissfully comforted by my shoddy pep talk and had taken on a 'Vegas' mentality concerning the Masens. I didn't have the heart to let her in on the truth, so instead I said nothing.

And it was starting to take a toll on my mental health.

For three days, I had remained silent on this issue while internally replaying the information over and over again. Edward, as usual, hadn't left my side and that actually made things worse. I loved him so much and no matter what I did I would hurt him.

"You're not being a grouch, you're just…distracted. Do you want to tell me about it?" He pulled me in closer and kissed my forehead.

"No, not yet…but soon. I need to work this out by myself first, but I promise I'll tell you when I figure out what the hell is really going on." This was Edward's life, Edward's family and he _did_ deserve to know what had truly happened.

So I compromised. I'd talk to Carlisle and we could discuss the best way to brooch the subject with Edward, if in fact it was true.

But I knew it was. I could feel it in my gut and I hated myself for knowingly getting involved with such terrible people. Murders like Aro, Marcus, and Caius.

"Okay, whatever you need," Edward told me as he pulled out his iPod and extended one of the earbuds to me. It was his way of closing the conversation and letting me know that he wouldn't pry. I smiled and shoved the headphone into my ear while he did the same. I let the calming, rough notes of Eddy Veder's _Society_ wash over me. I smiled at Edward and mouthed the words to the song.

"So, is Renee starting to miss Phil?" he asked over the music.

"Yeah. She tries to focus all of her attention on me whenever I'm home, but I can tell she really misses him. She goes back Saturday. I'll miss her, but her concern is kind of getting on my nerves. I'm a fan of email when it comes to my mother. Love her to death…" I drifted off…_Dead mothers_. _Shit!_ Just when I thought I could carry out a normal discussion, I have to go and say inane stuff like that!

"Oh, I know. It's kind of like Emmett. He's awesome and I love him, but serious, there's a new medical invention called Beano for Christ Sake."

I chuckled and allowed Edward to steer the conversation until the bell rang and we headed off to Music Theory. Edward, in response to my less than cheerful mood, played his piano version of _Like A Stone_ by Audioslave, one of my all time favorites, to cheer me up. With his sexy voice and elaborate tweaking of the original song, he completely captivated my attention and for the first time in three days, the Volturi was totally banished from my mind.

Edward met me after Gym, showering passionate kisses all along my neck and jaw line. "I'm addicted. I have no idea how I'm going to make it to the airport."

Carlisle and Esme were coming home this afternoon and Edward was asked to pick them up from Port Angeles.

I aggressively collected his lower lip between mine and let my hands wander up his chest. "You could always call a cab."

"That's how they got there in the first place, but Dad's not a fan. He wanted to take the Mercedes but they don't allow overnight parking at Port Angeles and Esme doesn't trust the parking lot in Seattle. I promised to spare him of the awkward cabby conversations," Edward told me in between kisses.

"How thoughtful of you," I crushed my lips against his once more before pushing him away. "Now don't leave poor Carlisle and Esme waiting. Call me when you get home, okay?"

He winked and swooped in for another peck before running to his car and waving.

"Bella! Hey!" Jasper caught up to me, his black Jansport slung backwards over his shoulder so that the pouch was resting on his chest. He was rummage through stray math problem sets and formula sheets, determined to find some hidden object.

"What are you doing?" I chuckled.

"One second…here we go," he extracted a small, sleek electronic device. "This is a Hale Original so feel special."

"What exactly is it?"

He looked at me incredulously. "This technology is so cutting edge that it doesn't even have a name. NASA would be jealous. But for all intents and purposes we can call it a 'Psychedelic JazzJazz Navigation System.'"

I erupted in laughter. "Awesome name! I'm intrigued."

"This baby not only acts as GPS, but it can hack into any other signals nearby and redirect their auto route. It can also use the same electric pulse recognition to display real time traffic. It hooks up to the vehicle's wiring so it can calculate optimum speed and trajectory of curves and predicts the best methods for overtaking opponents," he explained with pride. My jaw was hanging somewhere near my collarbone.

"How the hell did you come up with this?" I asked.

"Dude, I'm going to MIT for a reason. I'm a freaking genius and have nothing better to do. Alice was in Seattle today."

"Wait, you built this in one day?"

He frowned at me and shook his head. "I'm not Jesus, Bella! I just had _a lot _of free time today."

"Okay, whatever. But _Oh, my Gosh_! This is excellent!" I threw my arms around Jasper in excitement.

"I know, right!" He boasted, returning my friendly hug.

"So, when can we hook this baby up?" I asked.

"Um, when the car is in working order. Rose and Jake are boss at that mechanic shit though. They've been having a ball with that Mustang."

"I haven't been down to La Push in a while, with Renee being here and all. How's it going?" I asked a hint of guilt in my voice.

"Really good. So, I was listening to your conversation with Edward at lunch…not to be all interloper on you, but serious I'm a menace to everyone's privacy whenever I'm away from Alice…but if something is bothering you, I recommend the age old panacea—" he pulled out a shiny key and dropped it into the full mask motorcycle helmet he was holding in his free hand. "Bikes are way faster than your precious street racers. This never happens so take advantage, Bella, before I change my mind. Go visit Jake. Sublimate by making the GT a killing machine."

"Wait…Really?" I was stunned. He was more anal about his Ducati than Edward was about the Volvo.

"Seriously."

For the second time that day, I threw myself at Jasper, this time tossing in a cheek kiss to better express my gratitude.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah. Give me back the JazzJazz. I don't need you wiping out and destroying my ingenious creation. It's not patented yet."

I rolled my eyes and gave him the GPS along with my Chevy keys before skipping over to his bike.

"I trust you know how to drive it!" he shouted from across the lot, where my truck was parked.

"You'll find out soon enough. If you don't get a call from Forks General then you know that I can." Even from five hundred feet away, Jasper's face visible drained of all color. I chuckled, pulled the helmet on to my head and straddled the bike. I released the kickstand with a deft flick of my foot and kick started the engine.

I depressed the clutch and pushed my left foot down on the shifter while twisting the throttle.

"Don't worry, Jazz, I'll be gentle," I called back before releasing the clutch and jetting out of the parking lot.

I'd only driven a motorcycle a few times before, but I handle the Ducati with more grace than I anticipated. Air rushed around me, tugging at my body with fierce, raw power. I squeezed the clutch, pushed the motorcycle up into gear and gunned the throttle once more in an effort to gain more mind numbing speed.

I felt like a hawk on the prowl, strong and untouchable. The velocity was not diluted by sleek, sound-proof cabs. Instead, I could feel even mph, ever acceleration accompanied by a sudden increase in air pressure. The speedometer crept past one thirty and I wasn't even in top gear. There was something to be said about light vehicles: they went a hell of a lot faster!

I pushed left on the handlebars and barreled around a bend, my body tipping minutely to counter-balance the force of the turn.

My body became one with the Honda, aerodynamically bent across the gas tank, feeling the vibrations of the engine sending shivers through my skin. Jasper was definitely my second favorite man alive.

After downshifting and decelerating, I skidded to a stop in front of Jacob's make-shift garage, kicking up a cloud of dirt in the process. Jake pocked his head out the door and quirked his eyebrows at me.

"Did you join a motorcycle gang since the last time I saw you?"

"Ha ha, very funny. That's definitely my still though. If I was a middle-aged man with a super intense beard I'd totally join Hells Angels," I joked as I adjusted the kick stand and hung the helmet on the end of the handlebars.

"Do you even have a motorcycle license?" he asked.

"No. Are you going to run to Chief Swan on me?"

"No."

"Good."

Jake shook his head in amusement and beckoned me to follow him into the garage. "Rose is a total psycho, but she's got serious skill. She's been here almost every day and completely revamped the front quarters."

"Wow! That looks pretty decent," I commented as I took in the refurbished fenders. "How's the engine?"

"Good. The parts came in earlier this week and I think we'll be ready to put it back under the hood and start with the nitrous system by this weekend," he said.

"Jeez, Jake. You're a miracle worker! I came here to get my hands dirty, but you've already souped this baby up!"

"Sorry, but I'm used to working with old, secondhand junkyard parts so I got excited and carried away," he smile apologetically.

"I'm not complaining. You're doing an awesome job."

"So, having boyfriend troubles?" Jake asked, diverting his eyes.

I cocked my head at his query. "What?"

"We'll he's not here. I thought you two were attached at the hip. And you're trying really hard to sound cheerful, but you're not really succeeding."

"Oh, no. Edward went to pick up his parents at the airport, we're fine. But…" I hesitated for a moment. Jake was as close to an unbiased third party member as I could get, but the question was whether or not I could trust him.

Yes. I knew I could.

"But what?" Jake prompted. He sauntered over to an ancient lawn chair and kicked a piece of oily cardboard out of my path as I headed towards the empty seat next to him. I smiled to myself at his klutz prevention offensive.

"But, _I'm_ going crazy!" I relayed an abridged version of my situation, omitting all things concerning the Seattle Coastal and the street racing scene in Phoenix. I simply referred to the Volturi as people I had serendipitously met as a fourteen year old. I'm sure that Jake knew I was withholding information, but he didn't press matters, just nodded at all of the right moments.

"So these are the people who are behind your stabbing?" he asked after I finished.

"Not exactly, that was my ex-boyfriend, but he is involved with the whole Volturi issue as well. That's how Edward knows about Aro, Marcus, and Caius. He's actually heard Carlisle and I have conversations about his parent's murderer!"

"He hasn't put the two together? You told me his mother said Marcus' name in the home video."

"Not yet. Aro is the real mastermind behind all Volterra crime, so we normally don't bring up Marcus' name. I'm guessing Aro sent his little brother to sort out the dirty work. I plan to talk to Carlisle as soon as he gets back. Maybe he can help me sort through this mess and break the news to Edward," I told Jake. Just letting someone else in on the secret eased my nerves tremendously.

"You definitely need to tell Edward eventually. You're a wreck after three days of keeping it from him. If anything, things will be better after you tell him," Jacob offered.

"Yeah, but I really have no idea how to do it. What am I supposed to say? 'Hey, Babe. I know the lunatic who was really responsible for killing your parents. He's currently living in a multimillion dollar penthouse.' I don't think that would go over well."

"Just state it as blunt as possible and let him absorb the information. He can take the truth."

"I hope so. Thanks, Jake. You have no idea how much this helped." I tried to convey my appreciation through my smile.

"This is serious stuff, Bella. You have a right to be overwhelmed. But talk to Edward as soon as possible. I promise you'll be better off that way," he suggested, patting my forearm.

Right on cue my phone beeped alerting me to a text message.

_**The sky is apparently falling. How the hell did you manage to hi-jack the Ducati, Sweetheart? **_

"It's Edward. He's home." _**It pays to be as charming as I am. **_

Jake chuckled. "See, it's a sign. Everything will work out."

_**Where are you, Love?**_

"Thanks, Jake. I'll tell you how it goes." _**At La Push, but I'm leaving for your house now. Be there in a few.**_

"Don't be a stranger. You kind of disappeared off the face of the earth the last few days," he said.

"I'm sorry. I've been preoccupied with my mother. I promise to come back much sooner. I need to help with the NOS line, remember," I rapped my arms around his torso which was at the level of my shoulders.

"Oh, yes. It's time you start pulling your weight," he joked. "Be careful on that thing, okay?"

"Sure, Sure. See you, Jake."

The sky was gray as nighttime approached. I stated the motorcycle and sped back to Forks. This journey was less relaxing than the first. I was heading towards my problems rather than escaping them.

But I would face them with as much courage as I could muster.

It was then that I noticed that I was being followed by a nondescript black car, as it pulled in front of me and blocked off the road.

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**A/N: So I hope you enjoyed. I was pretty happy with this chapter because it developed not only Bella and Jake's relationship, but also Bella's relationship with Jasper and Edward. Leave me review and tell me what you think. **

**Is it the Volturi, James, or Aliens disguised as car driving chimps in suits? Review!**

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	19. Chapter Nineteen

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**NOTE: I'm sorry I've been so slow in updating. It's been a busy past few weeks. I haven't had any free time until yesterday. Hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks to all of my awesome reviewers. I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to reply, but I do appreciate it. Read and REVIEW please!**

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**Thursday November 13, 2008--Afternoon**

With scarcely any distance between me and black mafia car, I was forced to slam on the brakes which caused my front wheel to lock up and wobble out of control. My heart was pounding in my ears as I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing my body for collision. Jasper would never forgive me.

The bike lost its balance when it hit a patch of sand and toppled over, skidding to a stop mere inches away from the passenger's door of the sedan. Thankfully I had decelerated enough to save myself from injury, but the same could not be said for the Ducati. I was positive that the entire right side of the motorcycle had been completely scraped of all its shiny silver paint that Jasper meticulously waxed each day.

Dazed, and quite possibly concussed, I struggled free from underneath the bike and ripped the helmet off of my head. My gaze was redirected to the backdoor which had opened to reveal the hulking form of Demetri, one of Aro's lackeys.

"What the fuck, man? This isn't even my bike! Where's your road etiquette?" I screamed in frustration, trying to mask the anxiety that was building inside of me.

Demetri just smirked and dropped his eyes to the overturned motorcycle. "At least we didn't run you over. Aren't you luck."

"So I was barricaded from entering Forks because…"

"Because you're so popular, Bella. Everybody wants to fuck with you."

My head snapped around, searching for the owner of the voice.

James.

He had just emerged from the front seat of the car and was standing behind me menacingly. His nose was crooked and unattractive from our last encountered, but my stomach still bore the scars inflicted by his knife-wielding hand.

"Oh, HELL NO!" I exclaimed, ignoring the throbbing pain in my head as I jetted off in the opposite direction.

James and Demetri obviously weren't anticipating my actions, and my speed caught them off guard. They were momentarily confused, allowing me a good six hundred foot head start. I wasn't too sure where the hell I was going, La Push was the closest sign of civilization and that was six miles away, but I kept sprinting with as much power as I could.

There was no way I would be able to take down both James and Demetri, maybe one, but not both. Running was my best option, especially given the fact that I was being chased by idiots who didn't even realize that they could have jumped in their car and plowed me down instead of following me on foot.

I was surprised by my ability to stay at bay for as long as I did, but about a quarter of a mile later my waist was seized by large, meaty hands. My body snapped backward, its momentum abruptly severed.

Taking a deep breath, I planted my feet and slammed my left elbow into my assailant's stomach, followed by a right elbow to the neck in quick succession. His grip slackened. Taking advantage of his momentary weakness, I bent over, grabbed his closest leg and shoulder-rolled to the right. My feet had been perfect positioned so that his leg was clamped between both of mine, and now that I was resting at the crook of his pelvis I grasped his calf, arched my back, and forcefully cracked his femur in half.

His masculine, blood-curdling scream identified him as Demetri. James would have sounded like a two year old girl if it had been him. Which reminded me….

I rolled off of Demetri, feeling more confident in my ability to take down James, but was in no position to do so. He had circled around me during my scuffle with his comrade and as I spun around in search of him, his fist crashed into my jaw, sending me catapulting to the ground. My shoulder slammed into the asphalt, but I didn't have an opportunity to cry out in pain as my head collided with the pavement seconds later. The world faded to black.

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The putrid scent of smelling salt assaulted my nostrils, jolting me out of my blackout. In the course of what seemed like seconds, though common sense told me that more time had elapsed, I had been moved from the cool asphalt to the leather seat of a high-end transport car. My eyes fluttered and adjusted to the dim, incandescent lightening of the cab.

"Miss Swan, I'm sorry you felt the need to defend yourself against my friends here. I assure you that I never intended any harm to befall you," Aro's old, weak voice cooed in false placation.

"Bull shit! Carlisle told you that James attacked me, that he tried to kill me. Dumb animals always follow predictable patterns," I exclaimed, struggling to free myself from James' grip.

Instead, his hold on me tightened and he leaned in closer to my ear. "You act so tough, Bella, but that won't hid the fact that you're a bitch with an attitude problem. It's not my fault that whenever I see you, I'm over come with the urge to take a shotgun to your head. I'd be doing the world a favor."

"Fuck off, piss ant!" I hissed.

"Come, come now. Why all of this aggression and negative energy. James, let the poor girl go. She's not a prisoner here," Aro ordered. I resisted the temptation to slap some sense into the deranged old man. _Why all of this aggression?_ I don't know, it might be due to that fact that I was forcefully beaten up and abducted!

James' hands reluctantly dropped from my shoulders and, once free, I took the opportunity cup his ear in one powerful blow. He howled in pain, clutching his ruptured ear in a futile attempt to stem the pain.

"Now, was that really necessary, Miss Swan?" Aro asked over James' pathetic cries.

"Yes. Where's the other Conquistador? I'm pretty sure he has it worse," I asked noting the absence of Demetri.

"Yes, well after you crippled him, we thought it best to have one of EMTs look after him. We've dumped him in the woods until they arrive. There are things that I would like to discuss with you and he was just taking up space. If you don't mind me asking, my dear, where in the world did you learn how to incapacitate an assailant like that?"

"Ultimate Fight Club."

"Ahh, interesting." The corners of Aro's lips twitched and I wanted so badly to ream my fist into that disgusting smile of his. "James, I will not hesitate to throw you out of this car if you do not shut up immediately!"

James' cries faded to sniffles and moans.

"So, Miss Swan, I had the pleasure of speaking to my old friend, and apparently your new one, Carlisle Cullen. I was under the impression that you would be racing for me in the Seattle Coastal and I couldn't take Carlisle's suggestion of anything otherwise very seriously until our little tête-à-tête this past weekend," Aro began.

"How did you get here so quickly?" I asked. Carlisle and Esme's plane had just landed less than a half-hour ago and Aro had been able to cross state borders and commit yet another felony in less time than that.

"The Cullen's took the opportunity to visit a cemetery of particular importance on their impromptu vacation to Chicago. And of course I have my own private jet. Those security lines are so time consuming, you wouldn't believe." My eyes narrowed at Aro's buried allusion.

"You are a despicable creature! I know what you and your brother's did to the Masens. You plotted their murder, and for what? The property rights to an orphanage? You took away Edward's parents, amazing people who gave so much to the community, just so you could benefit your own illegal business!" I screamed, tears threatening to leak from my eyes.

"Well, yes. That's true. It was a necessary investment. That orphanage is located directly over the blue-line subway. It made our drug cartel so much easier. It even gave us the opportunity to move our base to Phoenix a few months later." His answer was so offhand and nonchalant that I balked, unable to form words.

"Of course, we did give the Masens an option. All they had to do was direct their charity elsewhere until the orphanage was forced to sell. But they were stubborn and…alas, the past is gone, no use dwelling on it. Though, please pass on my condolences to your boyfriend. He seems like a capital fellow."

That was it. The straw that broke the swan's neck. I lounged for Aro's jugular, my hands wrapped around his thin, chalky skin with all intentions to kill. But the old man pulled out a pistol and pressed it against my stomach.

Knowing that I'd never survive a close range gun wound I backed away, trying to convey my hatred with a death glare.

"Now that's more like it. Please, Bella, do not take offense. I had the utmost respect for Mr. and Mrs. Masen. Very decent people. But, let's move to a different subject. This one is quite morbid." Aro lowered his gun, but did not stow it away. "Now, about the Seattle Coastal, Carlisle has convinced me that it would be most beneficial if I allow you to race on your own. If you win then I receive the prize money and you will not be bothered again. If you lose, then you will be obligated to win five future races and hand over your winnings. I shall not give you any aid by way of equipment or protection on the track. That being said, I will be needing the nitrous and GPS back."

I crossed my arms in defiance. "Your NOS is currently residing in a bog down at La Push, but feel free to go fish it out. And that piece of shit GPS you gave me has a stiletto hole through the screen."

"In that case, I will note you're racing autonomy, Miss Swan."

"What if I refuse to race?" I tested.

"Ah, that would not be such a good idea, my dear. See, Carlisle worked so very hard to afford you some semblance of freed from our prior contract and it would not do to be a rebel. That would only get you a bullet to the head. And of course, I'd be out a racer which translates into loss of money. That would be a problem I would have to confront your family about," Aro's threat was made all the more forceful by the false cheer with which it was said.

"Right. But, if you don't mind me asking _Old Chap_, what exactly was our 'prior contract?' Was I high when I signed away my life?" I knew that it probably wasn't a smart idea to mock the man aiming a gun at me, but my annoyance and incredulity outweighed my fear.

Aro let out a snide chuckle and shrugged. "Volterra has its own laws, Miss Swan. Written contracts serve no purpose where we're concerned. Have you ever heard of Hammurabi's Code? 'An eye for an eye?'" He arched his brow, waiting for me to show some sign or recognition. I rolled my eyes. "Well, that is the principle we live by. Volterra aided you in a time of need and we expect you to return the favor. Nothing is free, dear Bella. Philanthropy is a noble aspiration, but not a very useful one. I've already allowed you far more leeway than most, but that is because you've earn the trust of Carlisle Cullen and, if I might add, your personality is contagious. I'm quite taken by you."

"It might be Swine Flu. You might wanna get that checked out. My mechanic, Pablo, is an illegal alien and, come to think of it, he did look feverish the other day." My sarcasm was not appreciated.

"I'm glad you think this is a joking matter."

"Oh, why so _serious_? How am I supposed to take anything serious when you drag along this douche nozzle?" In my opinion, being arrogant was far better than showing fear.

"James and I have come to an agreement. He is to race with Volterra in return for entrance into the Seattle Coastal. We've had our differences, especially after the Phoenix fiasco, which you well remember, but he's agreed to pay repartitions for his rashness. Instead of being exiled he will join my guard. Of course, it's more of a burden on my part, but I've lost out on one of my hopefuls..." He eyed me suggestive before continuing. "…so he'll have to do."

James moaned his offense, but was ignored.

"I shall not keep you any longer, dearest Bella. I'm sure you're missed. You'll find your motorcycle parked on the left shoulder of the road. I'm sure we'll keep in touch. In fact, Jane was most put off when I told her she couldn't come. You should expect her to visit soon."

"If she comes back in a body bag, it's not my problem."

He chuckled at my empty threat.

"Good bye, Miss Swan."

I pushed my way past James, throwing him a hateful look and inconspicuously elbowing him in the gut. He grunted and shoved me out of the sedan. Seconds later, the car sped away.

We were about a mile or two up the road from where I'd been apprehended by the Volturi, but the Ducati was parked in the breakdown lane as promised. I cringed as I took in the jagged scratched that marred its surface. The leather of the seat was torn in several places from friction and the helmet also bore gruesome white gashes all along the side. Fuck.

I wasn't expecting my phone to be in working order after my spill, but I dug it out of my jacket pocket anyway. To my surprise, the screen lit up when I flipped the phone open, flashing with the 'new message' icon. I scrolled through my inbox. The first one was from Jasper. Great.

**I thought you said you could drive! Alice is blanking and Edward is freaking.**

I chuckled humorlessly at the fact that my wipeout had been broadcasted to the psychic network but not my kidnapping. Alice would never hear the end of this.

The next one was from Edward.

**Bella are you okay?! Alice can't see what happen after you fell**

**Bella where are u?**

**Coming to look for u**

I checked the time stamp and noted that the last message was sent about five minutes ago. Edward was probably halfway here by now, but I typed in a reply anyway.

**I'm fine, Edward. I'll be at your house in a few minutes. Please don't worry.**

I knew damn well that he would worry.

I hopped onto the Ducati and sped toward the Cullen's house, needing Edward to pacify my shaken nerves and seeking clarification from Carlisle. Now that I was one hundred percent sure of the Volturi's involvement in the Masens' death, it was only fair to let Edward know. He would find out eventually, it was better if the people he loved didn't deceive him.

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**A/N:** **Thanks for reading. There will be a Cullen Family/Bella scene up next. Carlisle and Esme haven't had their fair share in the story, and neither have Emmett and Rose. Leave me reviews on what you think so far. **

**P.S: You guys are excellent guessers. Barely anyone said that the sedan was occupied by aliens!**

**How do you think Jasper will react when he sees the damage on the Ducati?**

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	20. Chapter Twenty

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NOTE: I'm extremely sorry for the long delay. I've been running on an average of four hours of sleep per day and just started a new job. Things have been crazy! Enjoy the chater and leave me some reviews! Thanks for sticking with it!

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Thursday November 13, 2008

"I'm gonna make a laser gun." I heard Jasper say as I silently slipped in through the back door. I saw him hold up his hand with his index finger and thumb extended in the shape of a gun and heard him make a popping noise that was supposed to resemble gunfire. "It's gonna be great. Fucking Awesome."

From my vantage point I could see Rosalie rolling her eyes, though I was still invisible to the party convened in the living room.

"What are you gonna do with a laser gun?" Alice asked, placing her petite hands around Jasper's muscular forearm.

"Shoot people with it," Emmett answered bluntly, as though such a fact should have been obvious.

"Not just anybody. I'm saving the trial run for Bella."

I took this as my cue to make my presence known. I was still heated from my encounter with Aro, especially considering the fact that he had now added James to his ranks. James! His mother was practically a crack whore, which explained a lot! I wasn't going to take any shit from Jasper right now, though I did feel terrible about his Ducati.

"I have a NERF gun you can practice with," I said without inflection. Jasper crossed his arms, displacing Alice's caress, and shot me a death glare.

Edward broke his worried pacing and sprinted to my side, wrapping his arms around my waist and roughly kissing my forehead. "Jasper, don't even joke about hurting Bella. Because it'll take you longer to calculate the maximum potential trajectory of a right hook than it'll take me to slam your head into the wall."

"Did she crash _your _Volvo, Eddie?" Jasper hissed.

"Fuck you, Jasper. I'll pay for a new paint job, but I'm not going to stand here and listen to your bitching and moaning," I turned to Alice. "Do you get FM or only AM?"

Alice cocked her head to the side, confused by my remark. I sighed, the excitement making me slightly dizzy. "Is your Miss Cleo bit only hardwired to trivial events like a scratch on Jasper's Ducati, or does it also catch important things like the fact that I was accosted by the Volturi? Because I have a feeling you have no idea _why_ I crashed."

Suddenly, the demeanor of everyone in the room changed. Jasper lost his hostile edge, Emmett immediately stopped chuckling, and Edward's face drained of all its color.

"What?" Alice asked in a subdued tone.

I relayed the story to them, feeling like a bitch for snapping at Jasper and Alice. My guilt faded abruptly, however, when Edward unceremoniously bolted from the room.

I quirked my eyebrow at Alice who shrugged in response and moved toward the door in order to see where he had gone. She jumped back a few seconds later when Edward barreled back into the room dragging Carlisle in tow. Esme followed close by, concern etched on her face.

"Bella, are you okay?" Carlisle asked, pulling a miniature flashlight from his pocket. He was already in full doctor mode. "We need to clean these cuts out. Do you think you have a concussion, sprained muscles, and/or broken bones?"

"Umm…I hit my head, but I'm okay...Carlisle…" The uncomfortable prickle on the back of my neck clued me into the fact that I was the center of attention. Carlisle nodded minutely, understanding my desire for privacy.

"We're going to have to check that out. Bella, wait in my office while I get an ice pack. We may have to take a trip to the hospital," Carlisle said, directing me toward the staircase. Edward made to follow, but was stopped by his father. "Edward, I have a medical degree. I'm fairly certain that I can take care of her. Trust me, son."

Begrudgingly, Edward nodded and spun around to continue his nervous trek across the room and back.

Carlisle entered his office carrying an instant freeze ice pack which he handed to me. He took a seat behind his desk and beckoned to the empty armchair across from him.

"So, I take it you didn't fall on accident."

"How long have you known that the Volturi were behind the murder of Edward and Elizabeth Masen?" I bypassed his opening statement and got to the point.

His head fell as he took a deep breath. "Awhile."

"How could you keep this information from the police? They were your family! And what about Edward?" I choked, amazed that he had kept this secret.

"What about Edward? Don't you think he is better off believing that the man who killed his parents is behind bars? There's no proof that Marcus conspired against the Masens and the Volturi are far too powerful to be incarcerated, Bella! I _was_ thinking about Edward! He is no less than a son to me and I will not let his heart be filled with retribution!"

I stared at Carlisle in awe. He had Edward's best interests in mind, but I found his logic to be flawed. "I don't think that you're being fair to Edward. He can decide what's best for him. I've never met anybody who was more level-headed. Compared to me, he's practically a saint. I'm not saying he'll take this news gently, but he values truth and deserves to be told it by the people he loves. He's not stupid enough to go kamikaze on Volterra, for God's sake!"

"When it comes to his family and loved ones, Bella, he most certainly would. He scoured the internet for any trace of James after you were attacked and was planning on paying him a rather nasty visit. It would not have ended well if I hadn't interceded. Believe me, he would hunt Aro, Marcus, and Caius down. He doesn't need a reason to hate the world!" Carlisle exclaimed in hushed tones.

"Wait, what was he going to do to James?" I asked, confused. Edward had been careful to tip toe around the topic of my attack. I hadn't pushed the topic, as it was a rather uncomfortable one, and had barely noticed his caution. It scared me to think of Edward—the sweet, albeit jaded, musician—premeditating anything that was excessively violent. Of course, he did tend to be over protective.

Carlisle shook his head and expelled a small chuckle. "He asked Jasper to build him a flame thrower."

"Holy shit," I muttered under my breath, covering my eyes with the palm of my hands in defeat. Carlisle wasn't stupid and if he felt that his son would be put in harm's way by telling him the truth, I would have to trust him. "Fine, we won't tell him."

"Thank you, Bella. I know how much you care about Edward. He's lucky to have found you. We're all lucky." He put his hand on my shoulder. "By the way, you need an fMRI. I'm fairly certain you have a concussion."

"Carlisle, you suck." I murmured in good humor. He chuckled and guided me out of his office and downstairs where Edward met us, his expression full of worry. From the corner of my eye, I was caught a glimpse of what looked like blue prints for a high-tech machine that looked startlingly like a flame thrower. Or possibly a laser gun. Carlisle was definitely right.

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**Wednesday November 19, 2008**

Edward's arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me tightly to his chest. His back was rested against the passenger's side door of the Volvo. He paid no attention to the flow of students sprinting by us in search for the small semblance of cover provided by the eaves of the cafeteria building.

I allowed my cheek to rest against his sternum, reveling in the sound of his beating heart. It had been a difficult few days. After my discussion with Carlisle and our—or rather his—decision to withhold the truth from Edward, I had found it hard to look him in the eye. And he had definitely noticed.

"Is there something wrong, Bella," his voice was laced with concern, but there was also a hint of worry that was unlike anything I'd ever heard from him. I hated this. This secrecy and deception. It was as if I was back in Phoenix lying to anybody and everybody I knew. It was terrible. Even more so because it was Edward that I was lying to.

"No," I lied without much conviction.

He pulled away, holding me at arm length so as to look me in the eyes. His deep emerald orbs glistened with depth as he stared into mine. I redirected my gazed to the floor, unable to take his intensity.

"You're lying."

"Edward…I really don't know what to tell you," my voice cracked. This was totally out of my emotional spectrum.

His lithe fingers dropped from my shoulders as he gave a small nod. I could feel his gaze drop from my face. "You've been really distant lately. I thought it had something to do with James and the Volturi. That seemed logical. I mean, you're constantly in danger and it's not fair. But, now, I don't think that's it," his back was turned to me as he said this, but he pivoted to face me once more. "Please, Bella, if this has something to do with me, I won't to know."

"Edward, I can't…" I started but he interrupted me with a pained expression on his face.

His hands plunged into his hair. "Did you know that before you came to Forks, I only ever talked to my Alice, Emmett, Jasper, and Rose? I'm pretty much that creepy organ player that locks himself in the attic and plays morbid music, wallowing in misery! I'm a freak of nature, Bella, but I love you more than anything. More than my life. More than my soul. I'd willingly give both up for you. They're meaningless without you.

"You've usurped my heart, but it's damaged goods. I understand if you can't be happy with me. You deserve better, I've always believed so. All I ask is that you allow me to be certain of your safety. Let me do everything in my power to keep you out of harm's way while the Volturi are in Washington."

I was stunned into silence, my mouth gulping at air as I tried to work through Edward's reasoning. Sure, I had been rather distant, but I hadn't realized I'd given the impression of standoffish indifference rather than undying love. It was blasphemous to even contemplate the possibility of leaving Edward.

My chin jutted out in defiance and my lips set in a stern line. I raised my finger to him in anger. "Edward Cullen! Who do you think I am? Some stupid, fickle girl who actually cares what some ridiculous jerks at _Forks High_ think? The fact that you underrate yourself is absurd! I love you, every single part of you, even the creepy organ playing part!"

With a quizzical brow, he stared at me for a prolonged moment before saying, "I don't understand."

"What don't you understand? The fact that somebody would actually fall in love with an intelligent, talent, kind, compassionate person? I can assure you, Edward, plenty of girls at this school are in love with you. I have to bitch slap Jessica Stanley on a daily basis because she practically stalks you. She was showing Lauren sketchy security pictures of you at the bank yesterday! God knows how she got them! And Lauren's even worse! How can you even think you're anything other than perfect?"

"Lauren and Jessica are deranged little girls. They can only _just_ be considered human beings!"

"Edward, why are you arguing with me?! I know what I want…and it's you!" I screamed indignantly, drawing a few startled glances for the passing students.

Edward's features softened and he stroked my chin with his thumb. Using as little pressure as possible, he pulled my face towards his, allowing our lips to brush against each other—a complete and utter tease.

Unable to resist, I forced my mouth urgently against his, letting my tongue taste the slight hint of sweetness on his lips. I moan in delight, utterly ecstatic to be kissing the man who meant so much to me.

Edward's fingers crept towards the hem of my shirt, threatening to explore the outer reaches of my body. I smile against his lips with anticipation.

"Whoo baby! Somebody has their swagga'-switch cranked up to twelve! Little brother, where are your manners?" Emmett boomed from his jeep parked a row away.

I turned around to see Jasper and Alice hopping off the Ducati a couple spaces down from Emmett and Rose. Though I suspected that I was still on Jasper's shit list, he had gotten over the initial shock of seeing his precious motorcycle damaged and was now talking to me again. Of course that might have been because of the emergency paint job I had scheduled and paid for. His Ducati was now in mint condition once more, which meant a happy Jasper.

"I learned them from you, Em. Remember that time I walked in on you and Rose in the kitchen…"

"Okay, enough said Eddie," Emmett interrupted with a wide grin on his face.

Edward's mood had done a one eighty. His eyes were gleaming with happiness as he snaked his arms around my waist and lead me towards the high school.

Alice met us at the sidewalk, wearing a concerned expression on her thin face. I crinkled my eyebrow in confusion, but she just turned her head minutely urging me not to acknowledge her odd behavior. I played a long.

After a goodbye kiss from Edward, Alice snatched the crook of my arms and dragged me off in the direction of English class. She detoured at a storage closet, shutting the door in a tizzy.

"What's the matter, Alice?" I asked. "This is sort of intense."

"Bella, I'm scared. I think Edward might be in trouble!" her high pitch voice quavered with fear.

That same fear infiltrated my composure. Was there never a moment of peace?

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**A/N: Leave me some comments. What's going to happen to Edward? Again I'm sorry for the delay.**

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	21. Chapter TwentyOne

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NOTE: Thanks for all of the reviews guys, I'm sorry that I didn't get to answer all of them, but I do appreciate them. I'm 26 away from the 300 review mark (I know it's a stretch, but what the hay) help me reach it!!!

**Sorry that I've been so long between updates, like I said before things have been hectic! I appreciate your understanding though! Keep on Reviewing!**

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**Wednesday November 19, 2008**

"Alice, what do you see? I want to know details!" I demanded in a hushed voice.

She furrowed her eyebrows and rubbed her temples with both index fingers as if warding off a headache. "I don't know. Everything just went black. That's never happened before! Not even when you almost got killed by James! It's not a good sign, Bella, and I'm not going to take risks where my brother is concerned!"

"Of course not! And if I had to take a wild guess, I'd say that the Volturi are to blame. Why can't they just leave us be? For God's sake! The Seattle Coastal is in less than a month, you'd think they'd have other things to worry about!"

"The Volturi? Why would they be singling out Edward? I mean, we're all equally involved in this mess and if anything, I'd assume you were in the most danger," Alice asked, her voice still harboring a vast amount of anxiety and fear.

I hesitated for a moment. Only Carlisle and I knew the truth about what had happened with the Masens. Maybe it was time to let someone else in on the secret, gain a new perspective, especially now that Edward's life might be in jeopardy. "Alice, you know how you were worried that the Masens were involved with the Volturi? That they were business partners on some level or another?"

She nodded, her face draining of the little color she possessed. "But I thought we established that I was just over reacting, that I was wrong!" Her voice cracked with hysteria.

"We did, and for the most part, you were mistaken." Her shoulders relaxed minutely. "But Edward's family _was _involved with the Volturi, they defied them and Aro doesn't take kindly to insubordination…" I relayed the entire story to her, included the fact that her father had knowledge of these past events.

"You mean Carlisle knew this all along! How could he let Marcus off the hook like that? He's had a pretty impressive track record with Volturi defiance before! What about his hippie march! I can't believe it!" Her voice was loud with anger and disbelief. I clasped her shoulder to quiet her down, lest we should be thrown in detention. That would be the perfect cake topper to this awesome day.

"That was pretty much my reaction. But he has Edward's best interests at heart. He doesn't want Edward to put himself in danger, but apparently that's already happened…or will. Should I trust your gypsy magic?" She nodded, allowing a tearful chuckle to escape her trembling lips. I tried to hold myself together, knowing that if I lost it and started freaking out over what might happen to Edward neither us would be able to help him. "Okay, we're going to have to make a house call. Do you think you'll be able to find the address to the Volterra Seattle Headquarters?"

"There isn't one. I mean, the Volturi don't have a complex in Seattle, at least not yet. Not like they do in Chicago, Phoenix, or New York," she told me.

"No, but they have property in practically every big city. Can you try and find a possible location?" I sure as hell couldn't. I could hardly operate my DOS system.

"Umm, I can ask Jasper for help…"

"I really don't want him telling Edward anything, at least not yet."

"Bella, I think we really should let Edward know what's going on. He can't defend himself unless he's put on alert," she pleaded.

I was beginning to think that she was right. Lying would only breed an atmosphere of distrust and that was the last thing this fiasco needed. And hadn't I made the same argument to Carlisle less than a week ago? But then it occurred to me that telling Edward might be the spark that causes him to seek out the Volturi and therefore puts him in danger. Man this psychic shit was mind numbing!

"I want to talk to the Volturi first. Today. And then afterwards if Edward's future is still black we tell him everything. Can you have Jasper and Emmett stay with him afterschool, make sure that he's safe while we're in Seattle?"

"Yes."

"Do you think you can get the address?" I asked again.

"Yes, I've been dating Jasper for seven years, some of his skill must have washed off on me." She pulled the sleeves of her silk blouse over her hand and slid her palm across her cheeks to dispel the lingering tears. Her demeanor changed and she suddenly lost her vulnerability, replacing it with her normal confidence. "Tell Mr. Mason that I had to go help abandoned kittens at the animal shelter today, but that I sincerely regret not being able to discuss the absolutely riveting topic of Hamlet's Oedipus complex directed towards Gertrude. I want you to relay that verbatim. I'll be in the library."

She flitted down the hall, her posture mirroring her determination.

I walked into English class ten minutes after the bell and took my seat, ignoring the annoyed expression on Mr. Mason's face. "Miss Swan, do you have a pass?"

I refrained from rolling my eyes. Of course I didn't have a pass! If I did, I wouldn't have purposefully skulked to my desk! "No, Mr. Mason. It was the weirdest thing! There was an epic battle, a civil strife, if you will, that made civil hands unclean. It commenced in the hallway just as I was heading to class. Those ogres and centaurs are feisty creatures, sir! I got caught in the cross fires, there was no hope for my getting to class on time. None whatsoever."

"Miss Swan, I really don't appreciate…"

"And Alice sends her regards but she is obligated to help abandoned kittens at the animal shelter today. She says that she sincerely regrets not being able to discuss the absolutely riveting topic of Hamlet's Oedipus complex directed towards Gertrude. And I would like to add that Gertrude's fickleness is a rather misogynistic depiction of females. The implications of said Oedipus complex are that his mother is whore who easily forgets about King Hamlet Sr. in order to get with Claudius, Hamlet's funcle, if you will. That, coupled with Ophelia's weak mind and subsequent suicide really doesn't paint a very pretty picture of the fairer sex, now does it? Socratic seminar, anyone?"

I was probably crossing a line somewhere, but I knew that Mr. Mason was a mediocre teacher and there was no way he could out Shakespeare me. He knew that, too, as he shoved his Sparknotes printouts to the side of the desk and ignored my proposal for class discussion. He wordlessly corrected his attendance book, marking me as present and Alice as excused.

I sat back in my chair as Mr. Mason drawled on about some incorrect interpretation of the fencing competition between Laertes and Hamlet, impatiently awaiting any word from Alice.

The bell rang without any updates. I hoped that Alice wasn't running into any roadblocks in her search for the Volturi's address.

"Hey, Bells! That was some serious skill! Nobody ever gets out of detention from the Masonator. He's such a stickler!" Mike Newton's grating voice cackled from behind, more evidence that the student body at Forks was just as dull as its faculty.

"Yeah, well it's really not that hard. If you had even a basic knowledge of literature you'd be able to manipulate that idiot like playdough. But you don't, so instead you make up ridiculous names that derive from 90's action movies and are supposed to be intimidating, but really just sound like some type of unthreatening reptile. Way to go," I said without inflection. I had no time to deal with pathetic attempts at flirting. All of my energy was being spent on maintaining some semblance of composure when what I really wanted to do was grab Edward and lock him a nuclear fallout shelter.

Mike chuckled nervously, not truly understanding my insult. "Yeah, you're right. That nickname is kinda lame. I think Eric Yorkie made it up, actually. No surprises there. So, what are you up to Friday? Some of us are going to Port Angeles to catch a movie. I can give you a ride up there if you want."

I stopped in my tracks and pivoted to face Mike. My eyes narrowed in anger and, judging by Mike's reaction, smoldered with an intimidating dose of annoyance.

"Mike, what the hell? I will never, EVER, go to see a movie with you! Not only do I have a boyfriend, but I also have standards! And the way to a girl's heart does not included making fun of the people she loves. Bashing the Cullens and Hales religiously just makes me pissed off, it doesn't turn me on. And your fucking engine block is still tether to the fucking flag pole! How do you plan on taking me out? In your mother's minivan? Wow, you're a real Casanova. So just don't even start with me, especially not today!" I howled, drawing a few amused stares from passer-bys.

"Ouch, you just got burned!" called Emmett over the crowd, his massive form hulking above the puny student body.

I swung around and fought my way through the crowd to where Emmett and Rose were snickering.

"Your bitch-o-meter just hit red, Bella! I approve, though you have nothing on me," Rose laughed, and to prove her point she sent a snotty glare at a skinny sophomore girl who in turn burst into tears and ran for the bathroom. "See. That's a skill you can only be born with."

I shook my head, still heated at my encounter with Newton and all the while worrying about the mysterious threat lurked in the shadows just waiting to consume Edward.

"I can't deal with this right now! Ugh!" I screeched, practically pulling my hair out. I was slipping…fast. I need to pull myself together ASAP; it was a matter of life and death.

"Whoa, Bella, calm down. It's just Newton. He's a toolbox, don't worry about it." He pulled me into a bear hug, my head pressed against his sternum. "I can beat that pussy up if you want?"

"Or I could," Rose offered. "These stilettos are special order from Italy, black-market actually. Some supermodel tried to assassinate the pope with the heel and these babies got discontinued. True story."

"Have a ball, Rose," I said. The fact that she was actually being nice to me didn't escape my notice. She was actually pretty funny when her bitchiness wasn't directed toward me. I pulled away from Emmett in time to see her eyes light up with excitement.

"Hey, Newton! I have something to show you…" he lush voice got lost in the crowd, but I could only assume that Mike would be sporting some pretty painful stab wounds in the near future.

"Emmett, can you do me a huge favor?" I asked.

"Of course, Bella." He eyed me with suspicion, knowing something was up.

"Can you force Edward to hang out with you and Jasper today? Make sure he doesn't leave your sight or otherwise put himself in danger."

"Yeah, but why would I be doing this?"

"I'll explain it all later, but just look after him. Alice and I are going to Seattle and I do _not_ want Edward following us on some 'protect Bella' compulsion! Please, it's extremely important, Emmett!" I pleaded.

He nodded, obviously not placated by non-existing explanation. "Sure thing, under the condition that you eventually tell us what the hell is going on and you call us if anything happens to you. Edward and Jasper would murder me if you girls got hurt and I could have helped to prevent it. Hell, I'd problem commit suicide out of guilt before they get me!"

"Deal. Thanks, Em. I appreciate it," I told him with a sincere smile. He ruffled my hair in true big brother fashion. "I'll see you later." I called over my shoulder as I headed to the library. I was impatient and needed immediate gratification.

I greeted the librarians with a warm smile, hoping they wouldn't give me trouble about being out of class. They didn't, but instead pointed to the carousel at the far end of the library where Alice sat hunched over her laptop. I thanked them and made my way over to Alice.

"Any luck?" I asked.

She jumped at the sound of my voice, too consumed with her research to hear my approach. "Ohh, Bella. Sorry. Umm, I think I might have a lead. It's our best shot, but I can't be sure that it's the place we're looking for."

I pulled over the wooden chair from the neighboring carousel and took a seat. "What do you have?"

"It's this warehouse in downtown Seattle. Not exactly the luxury suites the Volturi normally go for, but what caught my attention were the renovations that have been made on it in the last two months or so. Let me paint you a picture. This place was pretty much a tin box with a few high windows covered in chicken wire, but now it's been completely done over with electrical upgrades and hardwood floor installations. I hacked into the project account and found receipts for high-end surveillance systems, tinted windows…even freakin' Picasso paintings! Even more interesting is the fact that its coordinates have been blocked from Google world, but Jasper has an account with the NASA satellites—don't ask how or why—and I was able to get a hit on this mystery warehouse."

She typed at super speed and pulled up a bird's eye view of a Seattle industrial park. Each building looked exactly the same. She pointed to a nondescript tin structure. "This is the building in question. It looks _exactly _the same as the others, as if their trying to camouflage their existence, but epic failing!" With a few taps on her touchpad, she was able to zoom in on a vehicle parked in front the edifice.

"Now, I know you have a pretty decent understanding of automobiles," she chuckled to herself and I joined in. We had definitely found the Volterra base. A warehouse employ would definitely not be able to afford a Maybach armored luxury car.

"If they were smart they'd of rented a Buick LeSabre or something!" I whispered in astonishment. A Maybach! I mean, really! That was as inconspicuous as an elephant on the subway!

"Are you sure these morons are a threat?" Alice asked.

"You wouldn't think so, but yes. When can we leave?"

"Well, we're not getting there any time soon in that clunker you call a truck. Don't worry though, I made a phone call," she said with a devious grin on her lips.

"And who did you call?" I asked, intrigued.

"You'll find out soon. We just need to wait until the next bell so that our prison break won't be noticed. Edward is two classrooms away from us. Go flag him down and make up some excuse as to why his favorite person in the world, moi, and his favorite obsession in the world, toi, will have vanish from the school grounds by lunchtime. I'd recommend steering clear of anything that has to do with black holes are inexplicable inter-dimensional portals. He's much more intelligent than Mr. Mason." I nodded and left the library.

It didn't take much to attract Edward's attention; he was already staring out the narrow window on the door, bored into a stupor by the current lecture. When he saw me, he perked up and immediate raised his hand, grabbed a paper bathroom pass and joined me in the hallway.

"Hey doll, fancy seeing you here," he cooed in his crisp, seductive voice. He wasted no time in pulling me into a hug and planting a passionate kiss on my greedy lips. "I must say, this is loads better than a lesson on Newton's laws of gravitational pull. It's the practical application."

I smiled against his lips and traced the contours of his lips with my tongue. He allowed this for a few seconds, but then slipped his tongue out to meet mine.

"So, to what do I owe this special visit?" he asked after another sensual kiss.

"Well, Alice has been dying to visit this boutique in Seattle and apparently they just uploaded a picture of this must have designer sundress on their website. Why she would need a sundress in this rain forest is beyond me, but she's convinced that if she doesn't go now, it'll be lost forever to some schmuck with a large checkbook. She wants to be that schmuck. And of course I'm being dragged along for the ride." That sounded about right. I was past feeling guilty for lying; I'd have time to worry about that later.

Edward sighed and pulled me closer. "Alice is obnoxious. Don't feel obligated to go with her, Bella."

"I promised her already, Edward, and you know how Alice gets when you back out on a shopping date with her."

"Well, at least let me come with you," he protested. I could tell that he was about to go into protective Cullen mode and I had to act quickly or risk a heated argument. Edward would never back down once he had all his boosters firing.

"Edward, we're going shopping not starting a gang war. It's just going to be a lot of trying on clothes and credit card swiping. Alice is tornado, she'll tear through that city in three hours and we'll be back before you know it. Emmett said something about manly bonding time. You have fun with him and Jasper," I tried to be as persuasive as possible.

"Bella, aren't the Volturi staying in Seattle?"

"So what? It's a big city, Edward. We're not going to run into Aro at La Maison du Couture. I'm in more danger here in Forks than I am in Seattle where they're not expecting me to be," I countered.

Edward frowned and nodded reluctantly. "Fine, just be careful and call me if anything suspicious happens."

"Emmett already had this talk with me, Eddie. No worries." I playfully tickled his stomach and let my hands travel around his waist. He chuckled fondly and pulled me into a fierce kiss that was interrupted by the bell. I reluctantly pulled away and forced Edward to do the same.

"I have to go, Alice is waiting for me."

"How are you getting to Seattle? You're not taking the Chevy. I'll give you the keys to the Volvo before I let you drive eighty miles in that piece of junk," he protested.

"Wow! Are you offering to let me drive your pride and joy? That's tempting, but Alice said she had our transportation all figured out. Which makes me both nervous and intrigued," I explained as we walk outside. I stopped abruptly and Edward follow suit.

"Oh. My. God." I struggled to form a coherent sentence, failed and then settled on screaming like a giddy six year old girl. "Jacob!! You're amazing!"

Parked in front of the gymnasium was the pearl white Mustang that had been in pieces that last time I saw it. Apparently Jake had put some serious hours into making this car purr like a kitten. The swan emblems on the sides of the car cued me into the fact that Alice was as much behind this creation as Jake.

"Like her, Bells?" Jake asked. "Alice told me you needed some wheels and I thought this might be the perfect opportunity for a maiden voyage."

"Jake, it's perfect! I just…how did you finish it so soon? I really wanted to help out more!"

"Bella, please. The only reason I was able to finish it this fast was because you supplied me with the top-quality parts and took care of the overnight shipping charges. And of course Rosalie was a freaking poltergeist in my garage for the past month and a half," he explained.

"Ahem. Are we forgetting something? I ordered the paint job, Bella. And bought the upholstery," Alice chimed. I rolled my eyes at here bluntness.

"It's gorgeous, Alice," I admitted, wrapping my arms around her.

"I'll need the keys to the Chevy, Bella," Jake said, sauntering over to where Edward, Alice, and I stood.

"Why?" I asked, in a daze.

"Umm…so I can get back to the rez." Obvious answer, but that brought up another question.

"Jacob, why aren't you in school?"

"Bella, Bella, Bella. You skip school, I skip school, we all skip school. It's no big deal. Today was Quileute heritage day which translates into boring folklore about Father Wolf, the savior of our people," he joked.

As much as I disapproved of his skipping school, I couldn't complain without being a hypocrite.

"Jake, I can't thank you enough!" I pulled him into a hug and exchanged keys with him. Edward seemed to be uncomfortable by my casual display of affection directed at another boy so I kissed him gently on the lips to pacify him. "See you tonight, Edward. I love you." He relaxed and smiled warmly at me. "Jake, you rock!"

Alice grabbed my hand and dragged me to the car, eager to test out the horsepower. A crowd had gathered around the GT—so much for our sneaky get away. I strapped in, turned the key in the ignition, and burned out, leaving Forks high in the dust.

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**A/N: There will be a lot of action in the next chappie and you'll find out what's putting Edward in danger. The Seattle Coastle will occure with in two chapters or so and then we'll be winding down. This baby's almost finished!**

**Please review! And get me to 300! Here I'll even prompt you with a question I'm curious to no the answer to:**

**What weapon would you use to kill Mike Newton with?**

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	22. Chapter Twenty Two

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NOTE: Thanks so much for the reviews! I must say, you all are very creative in your death plots! I listed my favorites in the A/N. This chapter is a little smaller, but please read and enjoy! Review Review! I'm now 10 reviews away from 300 so please help me out!!!!!

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**Outside of the Volturi's Seattle Pier Headquarters**

I pulled up behind a dumpster, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible given the fact that I was driving a souped up GT with a swan painted on the side. Of course subtly wasn't exactly what I was going for. No, I was planning on a more rational approach—namely pounding on the aluminum door until somebody answered and then putting on my bitch face until they brought me to Aro. It shouldn't be that hard.

"Are you sure we should do this?" Alice asked, suddenly skeptical of my sanity.

"Excuse me, Alice, but I would like to know why your brother is suddenly going to drop off of the face of the earth at any given moment. See, I'd like to prevent that from happening," I reminded her, practicing my bitchiness on Alice and then feeling guilty.

"I'm going to pretend that you're just PMS-ing and ignore that snide remark. What I meant was, is it a smart idea to just pound on the front door not knowing who's going to answer? I mean, we could easily get shot or stabbed…or something like that," she retorted.

"Do you see us getting pumped with lead?" I asked the psychic.

She sighed and shook her head. "No, but that doesn't necessarily mean it won't happen. I'm just trying to prepare for the worst."

"Well, I have this." I reached in my backpack and extracted a small canister of pepper spray that Charlie had demanded I keep on my person just in case I was attacked again.

Alice arched her brow and rolled her eyes. "Oooo, that's freaking scary, Bella. Really, pepper spray? Against a semi-automatic?"

"I'm sorry I don't have a gangster gun collection, Alice. Besides, I'm not planning on getting attacked," I told her.

"You're not _planning _on getting attacked, but who knows what'll happen. This is stupid and Edward is going to kill me when he finds out…oh!" She blinked, startled by something unforeseen until now.

"Alice?" I prompted as she rubbed her eyes.

She glanced behind me and nodded in that direction, her face full of anxiety. I followed her stare and caught sight of a towering man seconds away from knocking on my window. I recognized his face. He was part of the guard—Felix, if I wasn't mistaken.

His knuckles collided with the tinted glass. "Well, I guess our options are limited now," Alice noted. "But on the plus side. He isn't going to shoot us."

"Oh, lovely. See, nothing to worry about." I opened the door and stepped out, straightening to full height in the hopes of appearing commanding, a threat—or, at the very least, somebody who should be taken seriously. I only came up to his chest so I circled around him, putting a good two feet between us which allowed me to meet his eyes without having to tilt my head backward. I didn't want to seem vulnerable and exposing my bare neck to the enemy would do just that. "Hello, Felix. How do you like the weather here in Washington? Not exactly sunny and 112 degrees, huh?"

Felix cocked his head to the side and eyed me suspiciously before replying. "No, not quite." His eyes traveled to Alice who had just hoped out of the car, a charming smile planted on her face. She lifted her petit hands and waved to Felix. He shook his head, bemused by our friendly dispositions that were so obviously fraudulent.

"I don't know what you're playing at, Swan, but you and little princess over here are crossing some serious boundaries," Felix warned. "How you found out where our base was is not really my concern, what does interest me is why the fuck you came. If Aro wanted to speak to you he'd have sought you out."

"I really don't care if Aro wants to talk to _me_, but I sure as hell want to talk to him. Relationships that work both ways are the healthiest, don't you think?" I tried my luck.

"Look, Felix, we just really need to have a quick word with your boss. It would mean a lot to both Bella and me. I realize that barging into you're super secret lair probably wasn't the best course of action, but it's kind of our style and the situation called for immediate action. So, if you could just buzz us in, I promise that we won't cause any trouble or draw attention to your boon dock hideout," Alice chimed in her intoned voice, offsetting my bitchy harmonics and Felix's rugged ones.

Felix's expression was a classic case of 'what-the-fuck' syndrome as he took in the svelte pixie. "Who the hell is she? I don't get paid enough for these mind games, Bella, so please if I slip you a twenty will you just leave. I'm off duty in five minutes, and I have this date with Heidi—you know how bad I've been trying to get with her for the past year. My flow is really being blocked right now and if I don't get any action tonight, I'll blame you!"

Alice and I just stared, open mouthed at the hulking 'menace' in front of us. This was a first. "Um, what if we just wait five minutes and happen to be by the door when you punch out?" I tried, my attempt at quasi-diplomacy utterly see-through.

Felix expelled a dramatic sigh; Alice's eyebrows were lost in her side bangs as she waited in anticipation. "Fine, whatever. Just say you pulled a Nancy Drew and jimmy the door open or something."

"What about the security camera?" Alice asked pointing to the black camcorder attached to a telephone post next to the entrance.

"There's no film in them. We're in a transition period," Felix answered offhandedly.

"This is not that smooth of an operation," Alice commented.

"Look, I don't need your commentary, Snow White. I get enough shit from Aro and his zombie brothers. This base has been operational for two days, I'm sorry if we're not up to the Pentagon security standards yet!" Felix retorted, gesticulating wildly.

"Calm down, Sadam!" Alice snapped.

Felix looked as if he was about to bust a gasket, clearly suffering from overwork/underpaid disease so I glanced at my wrist watch, turning the attention back to breaking and entering. "Oh, will you look at that. It's ten o'clock already. You should be heading home now, right?"

"Fuck my life! I hate this shift!" Felix muttered under his breath and pivoted on his heels. Alice and I followed him to the main entrance, not caring to be stealthy as the security cameras were out of commission. Felix exited a few minutes later holding the door open with the toe of his boot. "I'm only doing this because I like you, Hells Bells. But if you tell Aro how you got in, I'll slit your throat…and the little princess' too."

"Thanks, Felix." He shook his head in annoyance and walked away, leaving Alice and me to enter the base at our own leisure.

"I like him," Alice chimed.

"Me too." The inside of the warehouse was akin to a luxury hotel. The floor was made of marble the color of pearls that glittered in a rich sheen wherever the lights from the overhanging chandeliers directly hit it. Plush couches were pushed up against the wall in the entrance room, and to the left of the door was a long conference table lines with large black swivel chairs. Picassos and Kandinskys littered the cream colored walls.

"Wow!" Alice cooed. "The Volturi are pretentious bastards, huh?"

"Oh, yeah, did I forget to mention that?" I asked sarcastically. "Come on, there must be an office or private study somewhere." I pulled her through to the hallway and which was lined with a dozen antique doors, most likely shipped in from Dublin, none of which were labeled.

"Which one should we try first?" Alice asked, just as the door to our right creaked open and a small girl tripped out. Jane.

Her brow furrowed in confusion before straightening out to match her devilish grin. "Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in."

"Really, Jane, you need to check your self-esteem. It's not healthy to see yourself in such a negative light," I countered, searching for an escape. Jane was the last person I'd been expecting to see when I planned this tête- à-tête. She was vicious and would chose to call the entire guard down on us before dragging our mangled bodies to Aro.

Jane smiled snidely and pulled out a keychain with a buzzer attached to the end. "I suggest you start running." Her finger descended on the switch, but nothing happened, No loud bells or sirens. Nothing. Jane looked startled and clicked the button again. Still nothing. Apparently the emergency call system hadn't been installed yet either.

"Okay, well that was climactic." Jane's nostrils flared at my words. I grabbed Alice's arm and barreled down the hallway, to the largest door that was most likely Aro's study. I jiggled the door knob, and miraculous it was not lock. After Alice slipped past me, I slammed the door and turned the key. Jane's tiny fist pounded against the wood with pathetic aggression.

Behind a large desk, Aro glanced up from a slew of papers. Marcus strode across the room, jumping off of the cushy lounge couch to apprehend Alice and me.

"Miss Swan, this is quite a surprise. What brings you to our headquarters?" Aro asked, his tones deceptive sweet.

"Or better yet, how did the find us and proceed to enter?" Marcus snarled, grabbing me by the arm and pushing me toward his brother.

"Marcus, we mustn't be impolite," Aro chided. Marcus looked as if he'd had enough of his brother's faux chivalrous behavior, but he let go of my bicep. "Thank you, brother. Now, Miss Swan and…I'm sorry, but I have not yet been introduced to this beauty."

"Alice Cullen," she said tersely.

"Ahh, Carlisle's daughter? Oh, wonderful! You look more like your mother, my dear. Esme was always an angel," Aro remarked, a lively expression on his face.

Alice just inclined her head in disinterest. She was anxious to get to the point of our intrusion, so I carried on.

"This isn't a social visit, Aro. I realize that you aren't exactly the most honest person in the world, far from it actually. You're in the same stratosphere as Hitler and Stalin, to put it bluntly. So, I feel that it is in our best interest to discuss Edward Cullen." My eyes drifted to Marcus and narrowed into slits.

"What about him, dear? I hear that he's exceptionally talented—music skills that rival Mozart," Aro said. My eyes were still locked on Marcus, though he hadn't noticed my stare yet, and his emotions betrayed him. A mischievous smirk crossed his lips before straightening out into an emotionless line. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand, my dear."

"We have reason to believe that he is in danger and you are the most likely culprit," Alice snapped.

"Miss Cullen, that's quite the presumption. I personally admire young Edward. I'm an avid patron of the arts, the Lorenzo de Medici of our time. It would be most cruel to society if such a culturally rich adolescent was harmed. I admire your chutzpah, ladies. You obviously care very much for Edward."

"Yes we do. And I cared about my aunt and uncle to, but their culturally rich personalities didn't make you think twice of offing them!" Alice screeched.

"I've had this discussion with Miss Swan already. It was most unfortunate, but necessary, that the Masens passed. But that is not the case with Edward," Aro answered.

"Somehow, your agreement doesn't seem that substantial. Marcus, what do you think about or little dilemma here?" I asked.

Marcus' eyes gleamed with devilish intensity. "It certain is a quandary."

"You wouldn't have any hidden agenda, now would you?"

"Of course not." He kept his voice calm and collect, but I could tell that something was askew.

"Oh, really?" Alice pressed.

"Ladies, Marcus would never attack an innocent young man and these accusations are uncalled for, "Aro intervened.

"WHAT? He killed two innocent young people—Elizabeth and Edward Masen!" Alice howled and propelled herself across the room, pulled her fist back, and, like a slingshot, punched Marcus in the gut before he knew what was coming to him. "You deserve to burn in hell!"

Aro ran at her, but I stepped in front of his path before he could reach her. "I think you should be leaving now," Aro told us.

I nodded and put my arm around Alice's shoulders and pulled her toward the door. When I opened it, the entire guard was piled into the hall, their attempts at breaking down the door unsuccessful. "Let them pass. I'm glad that you do your jobs so well," Aro growled.

We pushed past the crowd, earning countless dirty looks.

"They're terrible people! They're vampires—that suck the life out of innocent people!" Alice hissed as we exited the foyer and returned to the Mustang. "What was the point of this trip anyway? They were probably lying through their teeth! And Edward's future is still black!"

"It wasn't completely pointless. Did you see Marcus's face? He's definitely guilty of something. Aro didn't seem to be in on the plot so we can cancel out intervention from the guard, they only really listen to Aro. Marcus will be acting alone," I stated.

"But what are we supposed to do about it?"

"Tell Edward the truth. That way he can be on his toes. And of course we make sure we all stay on our toes for him."

"Is that really all we can do? What about if I run back there and suffocate him with my scarf?" Alice unwound her haute couture scarf from her neck, ready to make good on her word.

"That wouldn't be a good idea, despite how much I approve of that plan."

"Fine, let's go home," Alice suggested, leaning her forehead against the cool glass of the window as I put the car in gear.

"Okay, Alice." We left the pier in much the same fashion as we came: anxious and confused.

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**A/N: So this chapter was meant to make Alice and Bella realize that Edward has to be told the truth, but they're not out of the deep end yet! **

**My top 5 favorite methods to kill Mike Newton suggested by reviewers are:**

**1) Hannibal Lector...Nobody said canibalism wasn't allowed.**

**2) Paper cuts...how many does it take to reach the the blood filled center?**

**3) A pencil to the jugular...why does this remind my of that one scene in Red Eye?**

**4) This one is very samuari...A spiked mace coupled with a katana sword.**

**5) And of course...a horrendous case of blue balls!**

**May method of choice would be an icicle to the heart, the evidence melts away!**

*****I hae another one for you guys: How would you react if you were Edward and Bella finally came clean?**

**REVIEW! **

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	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Note: I do not own any Twilight characters.**

**Okay, so about that amazingly long time span between updating...so very sorry! But I swear my hiatus was necessary to maintain my 4.0 GPA! Thanks for sticking with me.**

**So here's a really quick review--After using her deductive reasoning skills, Bella realizes that Marcus was the true culprit behind the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Masen. She is conflicted as to whether or not she should tell Edward about her discovery and decides to consult Carlisle who already knows the truth due to his connection with the Volturi. He suggests that she stays silent to protect Edward from himself, as he is prone to overreacting. Alice has a vision of Edwards future going black, which isn't a good sign so the pair of them go to Seattle where the Volturi have recently set up a base. They talk to Aro and aren't satisifed. Bella finally decides to tell Edward the truth. For the finer points I suggest perusing the previous chapters. **

**Again thanks for sticking with me and thanks for the REVIEWS! I absolutely love your feed back good or bad and I feel terrible for not showing you the love by updating sooner. Please don't let that deter you from leaving more reviews. And most of you thought Edward would freak and ask Jasper if he had finished building his flame throw lol! Boy do i love your creativity!**

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Later that afternoon  
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My knocks rapped against the high quality wood of Edward's bedroom door. This was going to be incredibly painful; there was no getting around that fact. Alice flitted by on her way to Carlisle's office. She gave me a half-hearted 'thumbs up' before disappearing behind the corner. It was her job to make sure that Carlisle was well informed about the current situation. He has the miraculous ability to keep Edward from acting in self-destructive ways, which was something that would definitely be needed in a few minutes.

As selfish as it seems, I was worried about what Edward would think of me. How could he love someone who had deliberately kept a life altering secret from him, one that dealt with the reason behind his parents' death? He would hate me and I would be alone.

I shook these thoughts from my mind, disgusted with myself for even considering them above the more pressing matter, which was of course, the fact that Edward would be devastated by this revelation and might be in danger because of it.

What would he do? Edward was a kind-hearted and compassionate person, gentle and beautiful, but so utterly unpredictable. It was more than probable that he could snap and try to take matters into his own hands by single handedly seeking out the Volturi. If Alice and I were able to find their headquarters it wouldn't be hard for Edward to do the same. And what would happen then? Obviously the answer wouldn't be desirable. These thoughts were no better than my self-centered ones, so I gritted my teeth and tried to expel them as well.

The door creaked open and Edward's smile lit up the room. I involuntarily melted at his gaze.

"Bella, what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice as sweet as honey. He pulled his iPod headphones out of his ears and wrapped his long, muscular arms around my waist. His lips found mine as if they were magnetic. The temptation was torturous, but I kept my wits about me and gently pushed against his chest, leading him deeper into his room, and shutting the door behind me. Edward eased onto the bed, apparently misinterpreting my privacy precautions. "Did Alice scare you away?"

"Not quite…" I decided that it was best not to beat around the bush. "We didn't go shopping, Edward."

His eyebrow quirked with confusion. "Then what did you do? I'm sure Alice is disappointed." A soft chuckle filled the room.

"We went to Seattle to pay the Volturi a visit," I paused to gage his reaction.

It was instantaneous. The soft, carefree smirk that was so characteristically Edward dissipated immediately and was replaced by a look of shock and disbelief. His naturally pale, luminescent hue drained to an impossibly lighter shade. His expression held all of the tell tale signs of inner turmoil.

"Why did you do that, Isabella?" His voice was steady and stoic, as if he had somehow transformed into a robot. I didn't miss the fact that he had used my full name either.

"Because I had to. I don't want you to get upset quite yet, just hear me out, Edward," I stared at him, waiting for him to make some notion of understand. He slightly inclined his head, the muscles in his neck tense with anxiety. This was as good as it was going to get. "Alice had a vision while we were at school. She pulled me aside and told me that your future went entirely black, which can never be a good sign."

"So, you decided to seek out the Volutri because of some unrelated gypsy vision Alice had?" Edward's voice trembled a bit as he said this, but otherwise, it remained stoic.

"Let me finish, please. Her vision wasn't unrelated to the Volturi. Remember that day we were watching your home movie, the one where your parents were arguing with that man?" Edward nodded, unsure of where I was going with this. "Well, I've seen him before. His name is Marcus, and he's one of the three founders of Volterra…" I recounted everything to Edward.

I told him about the part Marcus played in his parents death, about our conversation with Aro, and the conversation I had had with Carlisle. I told him absolutely everything and he hardly reacted at all. "That's why we went to Seattle. Please don't be angry with me Edward! I'm so sorry I kept this from you! I just didn't want you to hurt yourself and try to go after Marcus all by yourself. Please, forgive me."

Edward was silent for a few more moments and then he pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "How could you lie to me? Alice? Dad? Everyone knows this crap but me? This is FUCKING ridiculous." He jumped off of the bed and kicked a stack of books out of his way. "I trusted you! Here I am trying to protect your ass from some goddamn psychopath I don't even know-- from the fucking mob even!-- and you don't have the common fucking courtesy to clue me in on something that like this? This is my LIFE for Christ's sake! My parents…" He howled in anger. "You had no right…no bloody, goddamn right! You don't even know them! My mom and dad!

I felt tears begin to fall down my cheeks, unable to hold them back any longer. "I know, Edward, believe me I know. You loved them _so_ much, I didn't know how to tell you. And I love you _so _much! I didn't want to see you get hurt, physically or emotionally."

"Well, it's a bit late for that now isn't it?!" he screamed.

"Edward, I…"

"Shut up! I trusted you and this is how you repay me? I don't fucking think so! Get out of here, now!"

"Please don't do this, Edw…"

"I said NOW!!!! And you can tell my 'father' and 'sister' how much I appreciate their help." The sarcasm and cynicism that laced his voice was painful to endure. Almost as painful as his obvious disgust with me.

"We love you Edward. We were only trying to help," I pleaded.

"Yeah, well, I don't need your help. And I don't need your love. LEAVE!!!" He extended his hand towards the door, but I didn't budge.

"Promise you won't do anything stupid," I practically whispered.

"Oh, what?! Strap a bomb to my chest and go pay the Volturi a visit?!" he screeched in anger.

"Yes. Exactly something like that," I answered in a steady voice.

"Well, I'm not stupid Bella! I don't get myself into shit that I can't handle. You wouldn't know anything about that, now would you? Have a nice life, Bella. Hope you don't die." I was stunned, momentarily speechless. I pivoted around and walked to the door, opened it and turned back towards Edward.

"I love you." With that I left the room. Left Edward fuming in hatred, something that was so unbecoming for such a sincere person.

Alice and Carlisle were standing just a few feet away. Alice's eyes were puffy with tears, her hand trying to force the sobs back down her throat, and Carlisle stood beside her pinching the bridge of his nose, just like his son had down a few minutes before.

"Well, that went well," he said as he opened his eyes. "At least he isn't running out the front door, guns blazing."

"He hates us!" Alice sobbed.

"No, he's right Alice. It could have been worse." I wish I believed my own words.

"Come on, my dears. He needs some time to digest all of this," Carlisle said, leading us down stairs.

"Why did Marcus do it?" Alice asked. "I'm mean, why did he _really _do it?"

"He loves pain and violence. I doubt it really matters whose life he's ruining just as long as he is able to dirty his hands a little," I ventured.

"That's true, but probably not the only reason why," Carlisle added.

Alice and I looked at him skeptically. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the orphanage was in a prime position for mob use and obviously that factored into the equation, but normally one of the Volturi brothers wouldn't be so directly involved with such a trivial matter. Now I don't pretend to know why Marcus was so very interested in Edward and Elizabeth, but it's clear that there was some type of history between the three," Carlisle stated.

"What do you mean by 'history'?" I asked as we headed towards the living room. I had always just assumed that Marcus was a bloodthirsty monster that wasn't human and therefore could not be psychoanalyzed as such.

"I thought Marcus was so creepy beast that somehow managed to crawl out of the depths of Hades. You aren't suggesting Uncle Eddie and Aunt Liz were bad people!" Alice cooed, reiterating her prior fears.

"Not at all! That's inconceivable! But perhaps he had ulterior motives other than the conquest of property and the satisfaction of a kill," Carlisle proposed.

"And that ulterior motive would be?" I prompted.

"I have no idea," he said simply.

"Than how did you even come to that conclusion?" I howled in disbelief.

"Call it a hunch," Carlisle said with a shrug.

"A hunch?! A hunch?? Who do you think you are? The Wizard of Oz?? Now I know where Alice gets it from!"

"Hey!" Alice snapped.

"Sorry, Alice, but really? Don't you think that this hunch seems a little more like it was pulled out of someone's ass?"

Carlisle chuckled. "Maybe so, but I have a feeling…"

"…That tonight' gonna be a good night," Emmett started signing from the other room. The three of us instantly went quiet.

"Hey Em," Alice chimed.

"What's going on in here?" he asked.

"Nothing much," I answered with a noncommittal shrug.

"Huh, whatever. When's ma coming home? I'm starving!! I hope she makes that lasagna dish, you know the one with the fresh tomato slices on top. Freaking scrumptious!" Emmett plopped down on an oversized armchair across the room and flicked on the plasma television.

"Or you could make yourself a sandwich and let your mother relax when she gets home," Carlisle suggested.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. What are you doing home so early anyway?" he asked.

"I'm on call tonight. I'll be in my office if you need anything," he gave Alice and me a pointed look. I silently cursed Emmett's bad timing.

"Yup," Em said, popping the 'p' at the end.

"Hey, Emmett, you mind doing us a favor?" Alice asked.

"Hmmm?" The Redskin game was on and Emmett was practically entranced.

"Go check on Edward. He's kinda in a mood right now, you know," Alice censored the situation as best as she could.

"That would probably explain why he peeled out of the driveway at ninety miles an hour a few minutes back," Emmett stated, motioning us to shut up.

"WHAT?!" I screamed.

This got Emmett's attention. "Yeah, he left when I was pulling into the driveway. Looked pissed off, but I mean, it's Edward. That's not exactly a new emotion now is it? What, you two get in a fight?"

'No…yes, I don't know! Emmett, why did you let him leave?! You were supposed to hang out with him today!" I howled.

"I know I might look like Superman but I'm not exactly capable of halting a speeding car, Bells! He just needs to blow off a little steam, leave him be," Emmett stated nonchalantly. "And if you don't mind, the game is on. We were all supposed to watch it! Jazz is coming by in a few and you are not allowed to snuggle with him while we're trying to bro out, ok Ali?"

"Shut the hell up, idiot boy! My god you're thick!" Alice screeched.

"Does the Volvo have lo-jack?" I asked.

"Yes. All our cars do," Alice answered.

"Good. Where's your laptop, Alice?" She ran from the room at top speed and came back moments later carrying her Macbook.

"Who's winning?" Jasper walked into the living room wearing a Redskins jersey and red and gold face paint.

"Jasper! Perfect! Can you track Edward's location using lo-jack? I'm sure I could manage, but it'll take far less time if you do it."

"Yeah, no problem. What exactly is going on?" Jasper asked taking the laptop from Alice.

"Is this about that secret shit you wouldn't clue me in on?" Emmett added.

"Yes! Now please find him!"

The room fell silent save for the football commentary and the sound of Jasper's fingers racing over the keys. "Got him, he's heading towards La Push. What the fuck?"

My heartbeat eased a bit, but my curiosity heighted tenfold. "Why in the world is he going towards the rez?" I thought aloud.

"No idea, but it's not exactly warzone now is it? Unless he's planning to massacre Jacob Black for hitting on you or something," Jasper offered offhandedly.

"Haha very funny," I sighed in relief. Boy had I fucked things up. I hated myself for everything I'd kept from Edward, especially now that his true reaction to the news was to head in the opposite direction of the Volturi. Not at all what any of us expected. I hadn't trusted Edward, hadn't given him enough credit. None of us had.

"Should we go and see what he's doing?" Asked Alice.

"No, give him some space. Just make sure you keep an eye on his location and if he starts to go anywhere near Seattle, we follow full speed," I answered. I was the last person Edward probably wanted to see right now, Alice was a close second, tied with Carlisle.

"So…anyone want to clue us average Joe's in here?" Emmett asked, muting the game.

"Shut up retard, and go get your girlfriend. She's gonna get pissy if she's left out of the loop, too," Alice ordered. "Mind as well tell them now, right?" Alice asked me. I nodded in agreement.

Emmett jumped off the couch and ran out the door, grabbing his keys in the process. Less than ten minutes later he came bursting through the door with Rosalie in tow.

"What the hell is going on? Are you all crazy?" she screeched.

"Sshh, Rose. I'm interested in this shit," Jasper said, turning his attention towards me and Alice.

I recounted the story for a second time that day, and Edward didn't leave La Push at all that night.

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I slept over the Cullen's, making residence on the plush leather couch. Alice's laptop sat on the coffee table, still logged into LoJack. I had force Alice to go to bed at around three in the morning. Jasper and Rose were forced back home by a rather enraged phone call from their mother at one and Emmett retired around an hour later, most likely feeling awkward at the silent worrying.

Carlisle and Esme were unaware of the situation. I didn't feel like getting everybody involved in the drama when Edward surprisingly wasn't putting himself in danger. But why was he at La Push? Of all place, why there?

Alice shook me awake at six, not that I had actually fallen into REM sleep. "Hey, you up for school?"

"Yeah, I think so," I told her, stretching out my sore muscles.

"Okay honey, why don't you go take a shower and throw on some fresh clothes. There's a Barney's bag in my closet with clothes that'll fit you. It was supposed to be a surprise but whatever," she said. "Don't worry about Edward. He'll be at school and then we can try to sort this out, okay?"

"Thanks Alice. Listen, I'm sorry I dragged you into this. Edward's probably hates you too and I know how much you love him," I tried to apologize.

"Bella, please. Do you really think that Edward would ever stop loving you or me or dad or anyone? As impulsively idiotic as Edward is, he puts his family before anything else, and is doesn't matter how badly we screw up, he'll forgive us."

"Yeah, but everybody has a breaking point and I think we may have moved beyond it," I reasoned.

"Come on, don't dwell on it right now," Alice consoled, helping me off the couch and pushing me towards the stairs. "I'm leaving for school in an hour so…chop chop."

In a daze, I showered, letting the warm water and steam ease my troubled nerves and lull me into a false sense of well-being. I didn't bother to dry my hair, but instead threw it into a messy bun without running so much as a comb through it. I could care less about my appearance, today as I felt terrible, so I dressed in some obnoxiously outlandish garb that Alice serious thought was 'my style' and hoped it matched well enough to pass Alice's fashion standards.

Sluggishly, I trudged down the steps and headed toward the kitchen where I heard Emmett and Alice talking.

"I don't think he'll be that upset, right? I mean we're family!" Alice reasoned.

"Yeah and so were his parents, his biological parents! That family was straight out of an Ideal Living magazine, I think he'll be pissed that you guys hid the truth from him," Emmett said. My heart sank into my stomach. He was so right.

"But Edward won't hold a grudge…"

"Oh, Ali please, is this the same Edward Masen Cullen we're talking about?" Emmett chuckled.

"Oh, God, just be quite if you only have pessimistic things to say!"

"Hey, he isn't pissed at me," Emmett pointed out.

"Emmett, you're real mature, you know that?" Alice said in disgust before catching sight of me. "Hey, Bella! Ready to go?" Her voice suddenly became light with false cheer.

"Yeah. Should I give Edward a call…"

"Don't bother. I called him already," Emmett said to both Alice's and my surprise.

"Way to clue us in, assface!" Alice howled, looking like a rogue fairy. I was equally peeved.

"Sorry. He answered his cell, but wasn't really looking to chit chat. He'll be at school."

"Where was he?" I asked.

"Obviously La Push, but he didn't say precisely where." I nodded and pulled on my jacket.

"Let's go, I want to see him. See how he's doing. Make sure he's okay," I murmured the last part mostly to myself.

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**Hoped you liked the update. If you did show your love with a REVIEW! Thanks!**

**Here's a question for you:**

**What do you think Marcus's ulterior motive might be? **

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

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	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**NOTE: Sorry (again) for the wicked slow update! I'm apparently very unreliable with my update predictions. I hope you like this chapter however, and I would love some feedback so please, please, please REVIEW!!! Most of you are on the right track about Marcus' ulterior motive, though not quite there [many of you said that he may have been in love with Elizabeth; almost but not quite] I predict about five more chapters left, and some seriously cool driving scenes when the Seattle Coastal chapter comes! So thanks for sticking with me! REVIEW!! REVIEW!!!**

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**Chapter 24**

Alice was quieter than usual on our way to school. I felt her worried, penetrating glances burning through me in intervals throughout the entire ride. She knew how nervous and upset I was and didn't want to make anything worse by prattling on about nonsense as she normally did in the early hours of the morning. So and so wore this designer dress on the red carpet, such and such happened at a Milan fashion show last week. Quite frankly I appreciated the fact that she refrained from carrying on about such unimportant things, especially today when my mind was otherwise occupied.

Truthfully, I had no idea what I was going to say to Edward. What could I say, really? I had betrayed his trust in an irreprehensible way. He had confided such important feelings and emotion to me, had displayed such honesty and trust, was willing to risk his life to save mine, and how had I repaid him? I had withheld information from him and broken the bond of trust between us.

I was a horrible person.

But that was nothing new.

When Alice's yellow Porsche came to a complete stop in the parking space farthest from the school, and when Rosalie's BMW screeched to a halt beside it, my heart rate was nearing life threatening speeds.

"Damn Bella, you don't look so good," Emmett observed.

"Thanks, Em. Appreciate the honesty. I'll be sure to throw up in your general direction," I snapped, craning my neck in hopes of spotting a glimmer of Edward's silver Volvo, but failing to find it in the half full parking lot. "I thought you said he would be here?"

"I did, but Edward can be kind of melodramatic." Just as Emmett said that, a flashy car came wiping around the corner, its windows cracked, Simple Plan's _Welcome to my life_ pumping out of the vehicle. "Oh yeah, _real_ melodramatic!"

Shit! I thought to myself. This wasn't going to be pretty at all. I'd take a major street racing wipe out any day over this!

Within seconds of throwing his car into park, Edward had already jumped out of the driver's seat and forcefully slammed the door shut. His long legs quickly carried him toward the school, his eyes hidden behind Ray Ban glasses did not betray any signs of a furtive glance in our direction.

"I'll see you guys at lunch," I muttered, keeping my eyes trained on Edward's disappearing bronze hair.

"If you make it that far into the future," Jasper said. I hear a sharp intake of breath which I assumed was caused by Alice's bony elbow making contact with Jasper's abdomen.

"Thanks," I said absentmindedly.

Edward disappeared around a corner near the gymnasium. It wasn't hard to guess where he was headed, as the only building beyond the gym contained the auditorium and music room. I quickened my pace and slid through the crowd, muttering halfhearted apologies to nameless people I bumped into. By the time I reached the front entrance of the music room, I was alone. The majority of the student population congregated in front of the giant Spartan statue on the quad. Today was no exception and I was fairly certain Edward and I were the only two, save a smattering of faculty, with in a hundred foot radius.

My fingers grasped the cold brass door handle and I quietly pulled it open, taking a deep breath before stepping inside. The melodrama continued, which was to be expected. Edward sat at the piano, on the far side of the room, the exact spot I'd first met him. His fingers raced across the keys, playing "Space Dementia" by Muse in such a way that it sounded perfect despite the absence of any procession or string instruments accompanying it.

"You make me sick, because I adore you so," I sang, completing the lyrics of the song. It was the easiest way to make my presence known, though probably not the most couth.

Edward stopped playing immediately. His body turned away from me slightly, almost imperceptibly. "What do you want, Isabella? I'm not in the mood for your mind games."

"Well, I'm not here to play any. I promise. Just…just talk to me, Edward. A lot of shit got thrown your way last night and it's a lot to coup with. I'm sorry I'm a lying jerk, but I seriously didn't mean you any harm. I was trying to avert a crisis, which obviously was an overreaction because you are smarter, braver, and much more level-headed than I gave you credit for. I feel awful for belittling your ability to deal with that information and I feel even worse for hiding it from you to begin with," I started. Edward pivoted on his piano bench to face me, his eyes ablaze with emotions that I could not quite pinpoint.

"Really, Isabella? Did you seriously think that anything—_anything —_was more important than telling me the truth about my parents?! You knew how much they meant to me! You're one of the only people I've ever trusted enough to talk about them to! And then you go and do something like this! I can't even begin to fathom what was going through your mind every time you were in the room with me, all of the opportunities you had to tell me straight out. And you didn't.

" My parents were murdered, Isabella. I've learned to cope with that for the past ten years now. Do you want to know how I've managed to do that? Because I knew that their killer paid for his crimes, that retribution had been served. But now, now I find out that the person who is actually behind their death is still alive and well—a fucking millionaire sipping wine and banging exotic women!—that just changes everything. Do you really think that the other members of the Volturi don't know about Marcus' involvement in my parents' murder plot? At least the important members? Of course they do! And as long as Marcus is free, my parents' memory is tainted! And it's been tainted for ten years now, while I've sat around in ignorance!!!! It disgusts me!! Marcus will pay, you mark my words, but I'm not as stupid as you think, Isabella…"

"Edward, I never thought you were stupid, just impulsive," I corrected. "I care about you so much and didn't…."

"Either way, I'm capable of forethought. And when the time is right, I'll strike," Edward's eyes were glowing with hatred and conspiracy. They were unnatural and so alien to Edward's perfect face that I unconsciously took a step backwards.

"What does that mean?" I asked in a whisper.

"It means that the punishment with be perfect, untraceable, and fitting to the crime. Don't give me that look. I'm not thickheaded enough to run gun blazing into the Volturi headquarters. That's more your style, isn't it?" he said.

I shook my head, in aggravation. "You're right, I would do that and I'm sorry that I though you would too. Please Edward, let me help you. I could help you do whatever you're planning."

"You've done enough, Bella. I don't need you complicating things." He stood up and walked toward me.

"Forgive me. I'm sorry. I've never done anything I regret more." My voice quivered with emotion, my hands itched to grab Edward and never let go.

"I forgive you." His voice was devoid of all emotion, but his conviction was evident. I blinked in confusion.

"You…you forgive me?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I ever want to see your face again."

The gasp that issued from my lips was gut reaction, as if my body was trying to suffocate itself before it had to deal with a life without Edward. "Edward, I love you. I swear I'll do whatever you want, whatever you need…"

"I love you too, Bella. But sometimes love isn't enough." My eyes bubbled up with tears as he walked past me and shut the door behind him, leaving me alone next to a broke music stand.

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The rest of the rest of the week went by in a blur. The minutes were all mashed together and indistinguishable. I'm sure I must have seemed like a zombie because I was certain I hadn't said a word outside of answering a direct question. Alice was worried for me, I could tell by her apprehensive glances and comforting hugs. She had taken to staying over for dinner every night, partly out of concern for me and partly to be away from Edward's angry glare while Jasper was at the library.

I normally wasn't one for mopping around, but Edward did that to me. I didn't know how to handle the situation and with the Seattle Coastal coming up in a few weeks, I wasn't sure I had the strength to try. I fiddled with the Mustang for a few hours each day while Alice sat beside me humming to the tune of random pop songs in her silver bell voice. School…school was completely useless. I couldn't concentrate and had no ambition to begin with. I was a menace in gym class.

"So, has Edward called you yet?" Alice asked as she darted up the court and smacked the floor hockey ball across the room.

"No, I doubt he will," I answered in monotone.

"Bella, he said he loves you, you know he does. So it's only a matter of time before he realizes you're the best thing he has going for him right not. He's been shut up in his room for the past week. I think he's scheming. I tried to get Jazz to sneak up there and plant a chip in his computer so that we can have, like some inkling of what's going on in the mess up head of his. But Jazzy refused…something about invasion of privacy. I just feel like he's gonna get sucked into this whole revenge plot. You were right not to tell him. He may not have overacted like we thought he would, but he's definitely overreacting," Alice said as she flitted about the court. I took a swipe at the puck, missed and hit Mike Newton in the face, apologized half-heartedly and walked over to where Alice was bobbing on the balls of her decorated puma sneakers.

"Alice, I was totally in the wrong for not telling him, and for dragging you down with me…"

"Don't worry about. He already practically forgave me."

"Well, that's cool. But, really I should've trusted him and now he's left to deal with this shit all by himself. He can't even trust Carlisle the same way!" I muttered as Alice zipped by.

"Well, why don't you try doing some research by yourself and tell Edward everything you find out. That way he'll realize that you're trustworthy and only have his best interests at heart….Get outta my way, bitch!" Alice's sage words of wisdom were interrupted by an impromptu body check aimed at Jessica Stanley.

The wheels in my mind were churning. Alice was completely right. "Where should I start?"

"I don't know. Why don't you check Wikipedia or something?"

"Well that's stupid! Why in God's name would the Volturi, a super secretive mob, post info on Wikipedia?" I screeched, intercepting a pass from half court.

"You never know. Sometimes people do stupid shit," she said as she wound up for a slap shot that went soaring into the plastic net.

"Well, you were useful up until now, Alice."

"You're smart, you'll figure it out." She raced off after a runaway pass and I sulked into the sidelines, no bothering to pretend to participate in the game.

When I got home from school that afternoon, I smiled…truly smiled…for the first time in a week. Jacob Black was sitting on my porch, his jet black hair pulled back with a leather tie. I waved and excitedly jogged over to meet him. "Hey Jake! How are you?" I threw my arms around him and chuckled at the strength of his bear hug. "Damn boy! Have you been working out?"

Jacob's laughed hardily. "Nope, just good genes. I just came by to see how my baby's doing. I think we might have a custody battle on our hands."

"Oh, shit! I'm sorry Jake. I should have gone down to La Push more, but things have been crazy so I've just been tweaking the 'stang here and there. Rose helped me out about three days ago. She calibrated the engine. It's totally high performance now!"

"Righteous! How about the exhaust system? I heard a little rattling last time I drove it. I just want to make sure everything's welded on correctly," Jacob said.

"Yeah, yeah that would be great. I've been trying to figure that out. I thought the timing was off on the engine, that's what I had Rose check, but the knocking is still there." We walked over the sports car and squatted down to get a better view of the undercarriage. Jacob played around with a few odds and end and then shook his head.

"Nope, everything seems fine under here. All of the parts are new so that rules out wear and tear," he said.

"Want me to call Rose? I'm sure she can help," I asked. Jake gave me an indignant look, squinting his eyes up in faux confusion.

"Bella, please. Do you really think some Barbie doll with fake boobs can compete with my otherworldly skills? Don't even answer that, it's a rhetorical question," he joked, sauntering towards the front of the car.

I cocked my head to the side and tapped my foot.

"What? I meant no offense," his voice held all of the conviction of a five year old caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Yeah, well if Rosalie heard what you just said, there'd be no amount of steroids that could save you. Besides, I think you're just jealous that she's a better mechanic than you are," I countered.

"Ppshh, I don't think so! That's blasphemy, Bells!" Jake cried, placing his hand over his heart as if I'd stabbed him.

"Well, you're both better than me so I can't make fun," I laughed.

"Yeah, you suck pretty bad," he mocked as he popped the hood.

"Hey! I resent that, little boy. Shouldn't you be in preschool now or something?" Teasing Jake was highly amusing.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Bringing up the age thing, huh? Well, you're life's almost a quarter over, so maybe you should start considering burial plots and such. I promise I'll say your eulogy when your time comes." Jake disappeared beneath the hood as I shook with laughter. Why was talking to Jake so easy? "And to prove my point about both you _and _Barbie being completely inept, you're oil level is low. Hmm…didn't check that _first?_"

"Well, neither did you Sherlock!" I chided, grabbing a bottle of motor oil from the truck and handing it to Jake.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll let that one slide for the time being." He finished and closed the hood. "So, what's up with Cullen?"

"What do you mean?" I asked. How did he know something was up?

"Bella, seriously? Me and Cullen are exactly besties so when the kid shows up at my door all moppy and moody faced, I know something's up."

"Oh, yeah!! He went down to the Rez that day!" I'd completely forgotten where Edward had gone when he left in a tizzy. The destination had been overshadowed by the all encompassing sense of relief we'd all felt when he didn't drive off to Seattle, ready to take down Volterra.

Jake's face was marred by a confused expression. "Umm…yeah. Didn't you know?"

"Edward hasn't really talked to me for the past few days."

"Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?"

"Sort of."

"I can take a hint. Don't ask, am I right?" He said as we wandered back over to the porch.

"Correct. What did you guys talk about?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Oh, I see I've peaked your interest! We didn't really talk about that much, mostly about his parents, you know, the dead ones. He knew my mom died when I was little so I guess he thought I'd be able to relate. But, man, that kids messed up! He was so pissed off, I could tell. He kept talking about this guy named Marcus and "a reason behind it all." Not too sure what that was supposed to mean."

"Did he say anything else weird?" I asked, hoping that I would be able to decipher Edward's thoughts where Jacob couldn't.

"No, not really. But he was talking about that guy, the one that killed his parents. He was muttering mostly, something about an ulterior motive," Jake said.

"Oh, well that's weird." And made perfect sense. Edward must think that the Volturi, Marcus in particular, had another reason for killing off his parents besides obtaining the property rights to the orphanage. And that seemed plausible. The Volturi had plenty of money and could have easily constructed alternative underground trafficking routes without much of a hassle. Why kill off two high profile philanthropist that weren't really causing much harm. The only thing that I could think of was reputation. Men do crazy things when their reputations are at stake. Now all I had to do was find out what that bit of information was.

But how to go about doing that?

"Yeah, Cullen seems like a strange kid, but he's not so bad," Jake said.

"Hey, thanks for being there for him, Jacob." My sincerity was clearly evident.

"No problem, Bells. I know how much he means to you. Now, are you going to invite me in for dinner? I worked up an appetite fixing up the car for you," he joked.

"Oh yeah, pouring oil down a funnel is so physically taxing! Hope you don't mind pasta." I followed him into the house, all the while racking my brain for possible theories. As ridiculous as I found it, Alice's Wikipedia method seemed to be my best bet at the moment.

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**A/N: So next chapter we're going to see Bella in full research mode and finding out some pretty interesting things! Again, thanks for putting up with me, I know I'm slow!  
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**Seeing as though nobody has guessed Marcus' ulterior motive yet, I pose the question again:  
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*******What do you think is up with Marcus??**

**Whoever gets it right, gets a big, delicious chocolate chip cookie from me!!  
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**REVIEW and tell me what you think!!!

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